Malta could have one of the "youngest, most modern and environmentally friendly" transport fleets in Europe by March if negotiations with the preferred transport bidder are concluded quickly.
In a press statement issued yesterday, the Transport Ministry said its preferred bidder, Arriva Consortium, "by far exceeded the minimum expectations" as laid out last year when the tendering process began.
The ministry added that the new system was expected to be rolled out six months after negotiations were concluded and government sources said this should happen during the course of September.
The consortium is mainly made up of Arriva International Ltd - a European company employing more than 42,000 people across 12 countries - as well as Tumas Group Company Ltd, which owns 33 per cent.
Arriva has also offered an option to Malta Land Transport plc - a company involving a number of bus owners - to buy a maximum of 10 per cent of the company's shares.
The consortium was chosen as the preferred bidder primarily because of its financial bid, which was considerably cheaper than that of its competitor Transdev Plus. Another two bidders were eliminated in earlier stages.
Arriva Consortium was awarded a total of 175 points more than the competing company Transdev Plus but earned fewer points when it came to technical parameters. None of the companies appealed at any stage.
Arriva's target is to increase bus passengers by 54 per cent over current levels by the end of the 10-year contract term as well as to reduce the carbon footprint of Malta's bus operation by 15 per cent.
The ministry said the current average age of the bus fleet (30 years) will be reduced to less than two years overnight.
But according to Minister Austin Gatt, the reform is far from completed:
"Apart from the fact that Transport Malta still needs to complete negotiations with the preferred bidder on the best possible terms for commuters and the public purse - and that will not be an easy ride - the reform will be a failure if all it does is switch old buses with new ones.
"The success can only be measured over several years, as we get over the inevitable hitches of the first few months and start convincing more people to make the 'modal shift', travelling less often by car and more often by bus."
The ministry said Arriva brought with it expertise and professional management, as well as a €47 million investment in a sector where it was sorely needed.
One of the main aims of Arriva is to be more environmentally-friendly. The fleet will be fitted with eco-driving technology and tyre inflation monitoring, while engines will be turned off between journeys.
The ministry quoted an independent air quality report which predicted that the reform could result in a 48 per cent reduction in hydrocarbons, a 94 per cent reduction in particulate matter, a 70 per cent reduction in oxides of nitrogen and a 55 per cent reduction in carbon monoxide.
The preferred bidder also undertook to employ around 1,100 people in Malta's public transport operations - more than double the existing numbers.
It will also set up a new specialised training centre to bring up the current "abysmal" levels of driving, operating systems and customer services to international standards.
In addition, the new operator will provide "extensive" passenger information, with information panels on each stop, route information on all buses, publications, online information and a call centre.
Arriva Malta has also said it would support a heritage bus museum for retired traditional buses if one were to become established.