Old bus advertising monies still due to transport regulator

MPS Ltd, the company authorised to run advertising on public transport has been ordered by the court to pay the sum of €493,000 to Transport Malta in advertising commissions.

On 16 September 1995 the advertising company was awarded a tender for the organisation and management of display of advertisements on route buses.

However in January 1999 the company filed a judiciary protest demanding that the contract was void as from 508 route buses only 100 could carry adverts on both sides of the vehicle and only 112 bus owners accepted to carry adverts on their vehicles.

The company also claimed that most of the buses were not kept clean, adverts were ripped or damages.

Judge Silvio Meli ruled that the tender did not specify the number of buses and Transport Malta itself had no bus audit showing the model specification of every bus then in service. The First Hall of the Civil Court held that irrelevant of the long time that has elapsed during which time the route buses became history, fact remains that the contract signed was legally drawn and binding

The judge held that MPS Ltd is to pay the sum of €493,046.82 to Transport Malta together with court expenses and fees.