Opposition demands copy of public transport contract

The government must publish the public transport concession contract it had signed with Spanish company Autobuses de Leon or at least provide a deadline as to when it will be published, shadow transport minister Marthese Portelli said.

Portelli claimed that the original expression of interest for public transport operators stated that the new operators had to introduce their new buses and routes from day one.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi denied that any contradictions existed and insisted that the contract will be tabled in Parliament at an “opportune time, that won’t be as far away as it had taken the previous administration to publish the contract it had signed with Arriva”.

“I was clear from day one that the new public transport will be introduced on a soft launch,” Mizzi said. “142 new buses will be brought over in the summer, which is also when the new routes will come into play. In total, the routes will incorporate 3 million more kilometres than they currently do, and they were chosen after public consultation and without any consultant costs as had happened with Arriva.”

He also pointed out that the new system will encourage people to buy tickets off-board, that it would not require people travelling from Malta to Gozo to pay for two different tickets, and that an information campaign on the new system will be launched in March.    

In response to a separate question by Portelli, Mizzi admitted that the floors of some of the buses on the roads are too high to cater for wheelchair-users.

“The new buses will have low floors, will include protected zones for wheelchair users, as well as a surveillance system to prevent any harmful incidents,” he said.