Transport Minister Joe Mizzi should immediately publish the agreement on public transport signed by the government, shadow minister Marthese Portelli said.

In a statement, Dr Portelli said Mr Mizzi could not keep beating around the bush and blaming others.

“The Maltese public should know black on white what the public transport contract contains and not simply rely on the minister’s propaganda, in a campaign with carefully chosen words, a result of which the public understood the complete opposite of what is really in the contract.

“The Opposition notes that Mr Mizzi tricked the Maltese and Gozitan public upon hinting that the two-hour ticket can be used multiple times within those two hours.  As a matter of fact, if a person should use public transport within those two hours, they would need to pay the full fare.”

Dr Portelli said it was clear that those who used public transport were not happy with the new service, despite the pompous notion following the departure of Arriva that it would be radically replaced.

“In view of the fact that Mr Mizzi went to Spain to negotiate with the Autobuses de Leon before signing the contract, given that the government tripled the subsidy it is paying for public transport, in light of incessant complaints from the public, and in light of the government’s half-answered questions on fares, the government should immediately publish the signed contract, for the sake of the transparency that Dr Muscat spoke so much about before the election.

“The Maltese and Gozitan public expects a public transport service of the highest quality – the service it deserves, comfortable and on time – after all this is what has been repeatedly promised by the minister himself,” Dr Portelli said.