The Transport Federation in a long statement today said it wanted to “categorically deny” a statement by Transport Minister Austin Gatt that it had agreed with liberalisation.
The federation said the agreement to end last week’s strike had come about shortly before the armed forces and ADT officials were about to intervene to seize some 100 minibuses. The authorities had even prepared special number plates in order to operate a service with these minibuses.
The strike was stopped after it was agreed that the granting of new permits for public transport vehicles would be preceded by talks with the association concerned, the federation said.
In its statement, over the signature of president Victor Spiteri, the federation likened Transport Minister Austin Gatt to late Labour minister Lorry Sant who, it said, took decisions without consultation, denied the right to strike and dominated the other ministers and the Prime Minister.
The federation said liberalisation actually already existed in many sectors of public transport. For example, there were white, black and grey taxis, with different prices and stiff competition. Similarly, there were red and white minibuses.
A monopoly, however, existed in the transport of government schoolchildren, where the government issued a contract to three associations with a fixed tariff per trip.
The federation said Dr Gatt was in “a panic”, to the extent that he had said that the viability of a tram service still had to be established, whereas a short time ago he said a tram service would not be viable.
The federation said the new document on public transport did not contain anything other than what, over the past two years, had been discussed with the associations, the ADT and the transport minister of the time. Many of the proposals were made by the company Halcrow two years ago.
Contrary to what had been declared, however, the use of the buses had risen by about 8 percent.
That no more new buses had been introduced was due to the government having stopped an agreement reached with the bus drivers.
And proposals for frequent user tickets and the creation of hubs at Mater Dei Hospital, Sliema and Bugibba had actually already been implemented, the federation said.
It said that rather than making proposals, it was calling for talks with the ministry.