€3.5 million yet to be paid to former ATP bus owners

An unspecified number of former ATP bus owners still have to receive some €3,424,156, Transport Minister Austin Gatt revealed in Parliament this evening. Gatt said the delay is the result of ongoing legal procedures, drivers failing to return certain documents and the agreement between government and owners of buses operating in Gozo.

In total, government has to fork out €54,347,683 in compensation to the owners of the yellow buses.

According to the information revealed by Gatt, government has yet to pay €1,051,129.76where there are ongoing legal procedures, and €289,697.27 to ownerswho have not yet returned requested documents.

Referring to owners of buses operating in Gozo, Gatt said the total amount due to them is €3,120,000. Of this, only a third - €1,036,671 – has been paid. “Based on the agreement reached between the owners and government, the rest of the sum will be paid in two payments along the coming two years,” Gatt said.

Because of ongoing legal procedures, only one Gozitan owner has not yet been paid.