Updated at 3.25pm
Uptake of a free school transport service appears to be gathering pace, with more students now on the waiting list than there were at the start of the scholastic year.
The waiting list has grown despite more buses being drafted in to provide the service, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said on Wednesday.
Mr Bartolo said that the extension of free transport to students in independent and church schools has taken 3,000 cars off the road "in some key areas and during certain times".
Speaking after greeting students at Pembroke primary school, Mr Bartolo said the number of students on the waiting list had gone up to 900 from the 829 figure released in September.
The number was fluctuating since some were being taken off the waiting list while others continued to sign up, he said.
Asked how the shortage was going to be addressed, Mr Bartolo said more qualified drivers and operators needed to be drawn in.
“The problem cannot be solved by magic,” the Education Minister added. “The problem is there is a shortage of vehicles and a shortage of drivers.”
READ: Parents waited until 'last minute' to register for free transport, PM suggests
He said that while the ministry had found some available unused vehicles, they had no one to drive them.
The free bus transport has been mired in controversy and has caused headaches for parents since its launch. Prior to the beginning of the scholastic year,Times of Malta reported many schools were told by service providers they could not guarantee the service like previous years.
Parents who had paid for private school transport for many years were informed there was no room for their children anymore because vans were already full-up.
Asked when the situation will be resolved, given that the scholastic year started around a month ago, Mr Bartolo said the Education Ministry was working to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
He also urged parents who have children being picked up early to contact the Ministry for the situation to be resolved.
The minister also pointed out that the extension of free school transport to church and independent school has led to 4,777 more students making use of shared transportation. The total number of students using transport now stood at 25,081 (non-state - 11,081 students and state – 14,000 students).
The economic benefit of this measure has been valued by Grant Thornton at €14.3 million.
The increase in collective transportation also meant that there are 3,185 fewer cars on the road.
Furthermore parents were saving an average of €550 per child in transport cost.