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Muscat’s inaction inside EU will raise bus fares, Gatt claims
‘Partisan talk over discriminatory pricing will cost Maltese residents’ cheaper bus fares’ says transport minister
Transport Minister Austin Gatt has denied claims by Labour leader Joseph Muscat that bus fares are set to rise, ostensibly on the basis of a draft reply to the European Commission's secretariat on its observations of the liberalization of public transport in Malta and discriminatory pricing for residents and non-residents.
Gatt said the government will defend the pricing structure for residential users of the Arriva public transport system, insisting that discriminatory pricing was permissible under EU law.
"Muscat's partisan motives in shedding doubt on Malta's position undermines our negotiating position and makes it inevitable that under Muscat, the discriminatory pricing will be removed, leading to an increase in the fares paid by Maltese residents and a decrease in that paid by tourists to level out the fares," Gatt said.
Gatt said residents had to bear the cost of public transport on a daily basis, and increasing fares would only burden them more than those tourists for whom a €12 ticket gives them unlimited usage of the public transport system over a week. "Their spend is an insignificant part of their holiday budget," Gatt said.
"Muscat is indifferent to the social realities of those who depend on public transport and he has publicly declared that he won't defend their interests inside the EU and allow bus fares to rise. The Nationalist government will continue safeguarding the interest of public transport commuters."
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Tort ta' MIN? Mhux soltu! Tort ta' Joseph!!
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So, according to 'Aust' Gatt, this is also Joseph Muscat's fault. AG should know that it is EU nationals living in Malta that are challenging the Maltese government in court for breaching the European Freedom of Movement principle. Joseph has only spoken on the matter, and just warned GonziPN and his highly-paid Transport Malta officials to clear the mess before 9 March.
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A load of bullshit.
The ministry have already declared that the fares are discriminatory.
PN have their own people in the EU, Should the Ministry be reminded that Joseph Muscat is at the moment busy.
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Public transport should be the same for everyone. Is a Maltese citizen charged a different fare from a local in London? No of course not. So why is a non resident in Malta charged a different fare? The EU SHOULD step in and stop this travesty.
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Can the EU answer the question why in France and Spain it allows residents to purchase "month tickets" for transport at cheaper rates than normal and non-residents cannot buy these tickets? Also why do Spanish residents enter museums in Spain free of charge and non-residents have to pay? Why are telecom services only sold to residents in France and not to non-residents?
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Dr Gat should better stuff his mouth and better still his mind. ARRIVA are Dr Gatt's living legacy to the Maltese people which made us the laughing stock of the UK.
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Gatt is the biggest joke in Maltese political history.
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At its inception, I thought that the two tier pricing system was just begging for a court challenge for its discriminatory treatment of non-Maltese EU citizens. If a layman with no legal training, such as myself, could anticipate want would ensue, I'm sure that the administration, full of lawyers, could see this better than me. It was another ruse, like hunting. Tell the public that they will get preferential treatment and then when the European court rules against Malta you can wring your hands in false sorrow and say that the EU made us reverse our original decision. Cheap political tricks.
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Tort ta Gatt u jehel Muscat, Prosit.
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I THOUGHT OUR DEAR MINISTER WAS HIDING SOMEWHERE, RELIEVED OF THE DEVIATIONS ORCHESTRATED TO GET HIM OFF THE HOOK. NOW HE ROSE FROM LIMBO AND STARTS TO BLAME MUSCAT FOR FARES HE AND HIS PEOPLE SET AND AGREED UPON DESPITE DISCRIMINATING AGAINST OTHER EUROPEANS. WHAT A DASTARDLY CHEEK. BUT WE HAVE GOT USED TO SUCH ATTITUDES FROM THE LIKES OF HIM AND HIS CLIQUE.
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Does ANYBODY (excluding Gonzi's sheep) listen to this failure, anymore?
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The usual bull from Austin Gatt. If as he says the government is within EU law why has the EU told it that it will proceed against Malta unless changes are made to remove the discrimination? This means that Transport Malta's replies to the EU have failed to convince the EU that the fares are in line with EU law. But the last bit is really funny and ironic coming from the Minister who made such a disaster of the bus reform: "The Nationalist government will continue safeguarding the interest of public transport commuters." It's as if Austin Gatt has not followed the mass of criticism that has burst upon Malta since HIS so-called reform was implemented. If wht has taken place falls within the definition of safeguarding commuter interests then this Minister needs psychiatric care.
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I think this caretaker minister has reached the pinnacle of arrogance treating people like a bunch of zombies! Now he is blaming joseph muscat if the Eu takes action re bus fares farce! Go and tell it to the marines Sur AG come 9th March good riddance
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Iddahhaqniex Dr. Gatt x'bajt tghaffeg u taghmel pudini nahseb u ghalhekk m'intix ser tikkontesta l-elezzjoni li gejja ghax ndunajt li xbajt tghaffeg u taghemel il-pudini. Huwa ovju li l-EU mhux ser thalli lill-Arriva tiddiskrimina kontra c-cittadini taghha ghal ghal EU bhal tal-Laboour ic-cittadini huma taghha l-koll u mhux Maltin jew Taljani, jew Inglizi, ghall EU l-koll huma cittadini ugwali u intom ta' PN ghax dejjem iddiskriminajtu lejn l-ucuh homor jew hodor ma tistghux tnizluha din. U dan jirrifletti negozjar hazin li sar minn nahhat tad-Dipartiment li kien imexxi Austin Gatt ma l-Arriva.
