Nine suspended buses pass safety tests following claims of unroadworthiness

Nine buses which were suspended following allegations that they were unroadworthy have passed their tests, as no dangerous deficiencies were noted, Malta Public Transport (MPT) said.

In response to a request from Transport Malta, MPT had temporarily suspended 11 buses mentioned in a judicial protest which brought into question safety concerns. The judicial protest was filed by an MTP workshop supervisor who alleged that the company ignored his concerns and attempted to force him to allow dangerous and unroadworthy buses to continue in circulation.

Of the 11 buses mentioned, two were already out of operation for regular maintenance. The remaining nine buses underwent comprehensive testing, including brake checks, in the presence of employees from both Transport Malta and MPT. According to MPT's statement, no dangerous deficiencies were found, and any minor faults discovered have been promptly rectified.

MPT said that it follows rigorous preventive maintenance processes, including inspecting each bus every 35 days. The company apologised for any confusion caused by the incident and encouraged anyone with questions or doubts about the safety of its fleet to reach out for clarification.

Allowing unroadworthy buses into circulation is "impossible"

Speaking to MaltaToday, MPT General Manager, Konrad Pulé said that allowing unroadworthy buses back onto the road is “impossible” due to the company's rigorous inspection procedure.

“We deny these allegations 100%,” Pulé said, as he noted the company’s shock when they learned of the judicial protest from media reports. 

Addressing the allegations, Pulé told this newspaper that bus inspections follow a rigid and thorough procedure which would require multiple people in different departments to conspire before allowing unroadworthy buses back into circulation. 

“Each bus is called for an inspection every 35 days,” Pulé explained, as he went into the details behind the procedure. Each bus is examined by an inspector and a mechanic before it is driven out of the Luqa facility.

Following this, the drivers are tasked with going through their own checklist, however this is not as extensive as the previous inspections.

Among the flaws raised by the judicial protest was the claim that some with brake pads were so worn that their effectiveness at less than 30%.

When asked about this Pulé explained that even if the thickness of the brake pads had reached 30%, the buses would still be safe to drive, as he explained that brake pads start to lose thickness the moment they start being used. MPT's General Manager expressed his confidence that the buses in question would pass any safety test, doubling down on his belief that the allegations are completely false.