Public transport agreement to be published at 'opportune time'

Minister Joe Mizzi will present the agreement with Autobuses Urbanos de Leon to parliament at the opportune moment following a public information campaign on the new service.

When the new service was launched on 8 January, Mizzi promised to publish the contract “as soon as Parliament reconvenes".

But Mizzi now says that the contract will be published at an opportune time “after the public is informed on the new operation” through a public information campaign, adding that he “remembered well what he had said as much as he remembered that it took the previous government 11 months to publish the contract with Arriva".

Mizzi was replying to a parliamentary question by Jason Azzopardi, who had asked Mizzi to present the contract to parliament as promised.

In a three-page reply in lieu of the contract, Mizzi reminded Azzopardi that the contract with Arriva Malta Lts was only tabled in parliament on 3 October 2011, 11 months after it had been signed and only after some information was removed from it.

Mizzi condemned the Opposition for its negative campaign, which according to the Minister is aimed at “sowing the seeds of doubt” among the people.

He also reminded the House about the Arriva saga, which saw the company asking government for a €45 million subsidy in its final days.  He compared this with the demand for €29 million subsidy made by the Spanish company.

He also defended his visit to Spain to meet representatives of Autobuses de Leon before the tender was awarded, insisting that this was permitted by a clause inserted in the Expression of Interest.