The Transport Ministry yesterday promised to pay hundreds of thousands of euro it owes to bus owners and drivers within 36 hours after they threatened to suspend the service to and from Mater Dei Hospital from tomorrow.
The ministry said the payments had been delayed because of “internal communication issues” between government departments.
The president of the Public Transport Association, Victor Spiteri, said the arrears amounted to €600,000. It had an agreement with the ministry on payment and “we cannot continue shouldering the burden of expenses”.
Mr Spiteri explained that the arrears, going back three months, were split into two parts: €300,000 for the transport service rendered from various points on the island to the hospital and another €300,000 in subsidies for the general public transport service.
Mr Spiteri said the association had contacted the government in September insisting the subsidy be paid but had remained empty-handed. On November 3, it sent a letter to Transport Minister Austin Gatt and Transport Malta chairman Mark Portelli complaining the association had not yet been paid. “But the situation did not change. We didn’t hear anything and didn’t receive any money. All we received was an acknowledgement.”
The association was, therefore, left with no option but to threaten a suspension of service to the hospital. If the money did not arrive, the association was even ready to consider the possibility of suspending all routes, Mr Spiteri said.
Bus drivers offered a service and had to be paid for it. On top of that, the price of fuel had gone up, he added.
A Transport Ministry spokesman said the issue should be resolved within 36 hours.
“We are informed by the permanent secretary that minor delays in payments are due to internal communication issues between various government departments involved in vetting, verifying and authorising the payments.
“We are also informed that all payments are expected to be settled within the next 36 hours. We are also informed the association knows all this but, in the style it is well known for, it has decided for whatever reason to make some noise on the matter,” the spokesman said.
Student organisation Pulse expressed concern about the possible indefinite suspension of the public transport to and from Mater Dei Hospital, which would affect the adjacent University and the Junior College down the road. “While recognising the right of the transport association to take industrial action, it is unfair that thousands of students would not be able to use public transport to the University and the Junior College,” the association said.