The owners of a kerosene truck have filed a judicial protest against the Malta Transport Authority after their truck was not classified as a bowser and was refused a licence renewal.

Anthony Bugeja and his wife Maria Helen said they had been using their truck for 13 years but when they applied for a licence renewal, they were told that they needed an engineer's certificate that the truck could be classed as a bowser.

They presented a certificate that the truck was in good working order but officials of the Authority told them verbally that they needed EU certification to carry dangerous goods and they had to change the truck’s tank into a new one.

Mr and Mrs Bugeja said it was not possible to get EU certification since there was no local representative for that purpose and the tank could not be replaced with a new one since Enemalta was not equipped to fill new tanks with kerosene. The older kerosene tanks used a different refilling system than the modern fuel tanks.

They called on the Authority to accept the application and indicate in writing any requirements needed.