Updated | Local councils were not consulted on bus routes – PL
Labour says local councils were not consulted by Transport Malta and only a letter of acknowledgement was received on the feedback sent by councils.
Adds government's statement
Government has denied not consulting with local councils prior to the creation of the new bus routes. In a press release the Transport Ministry denied the accusations made by the Opposition.
"We also understand that not all local councils might have appreciated the significance of the change they were being asked to comment about," the ministry said. "Now they are reacting in the same way their residents are."
The ministry added that routes had been published for public consultation in December 2008 during a national conference to which the local councils had been invited. A meeting was then called in April 2009 for the 68 local councils' executive secretaries. Only 23 executive secretaries had turned up for the meeting. It added that electronic versions of the maps had been sent to those who did not attend.
"The local councils were asked to send in their recommendations. Only a few of them were not implemented." The ministry added the local councils had been asked for feedback when the routes with the bus stops were created and put online.
Earlier today
Opposition spokesman for local government Stefan Buontempo said government should have consulted with the local councils before it decided on the new public transport routes: “Even though government met up with them, the meeting was of an informative nature rather tan consultative.”
Addressing the media at the bus interchange in Valletta, Buontempo said when local councils sent in their feedback “they simply received a letter of acknowledgement and no further contact was made.”
Buontempo added that government breached the law when it did not consult with them. Quoting from the Local Councils Act, Buontempo said the law obliged all entities to consult with the local councils on decisions which would affect them and their residents.
Labour MP and Opposition spokesman on transport Joseph Sammut said the long awaited public transport reform is not achieving the desired results.
“The reform was aimed at having less people making use of their private cars and more relying on the public transport to go to work and run their errands,” Sammut said. “But now, regular bus commuters have turned back to using their private cars whilst other were forced to buy a car.”
Sammut said the delays in the service is also creating burdens on Mater Dei hospital. “No matter how early they plan their trip, patients still arrive late for their appointments. This is creating a backlog as new appointments have to be made.”
He said the tourism sector is also being affected, with tourists having their holiday plans interrupted with unjustified delays. Sammut added that with workers arriving late for work, Malta’s economy is also suffering a loss.
“Someone needs to shoulder responsibility for this fiasco,” Sammut said. “It is not simply a mistake. The reform has been going on for three years. The responsibility falls on Emanuel Delia and government.”
Delia, the policy coordinator within Transport Malta, was responsible for the transport reform and the changeover from the old to the new system. Asked if by political responsibility he meant that Delia should resign, Buontempo simply reiterated that someone should shoulder responsibility.
Both Buontempo and Sammut said the new service was not delivering in terms of punctuality, reliability and accessibility in all localities.
“In the last years, government has stressed on the importance of giving hamlets their own identity,” Buontempo said. “But when it came to the public transport reform, it did not provide them with the service.”
He said these hamlets included Qajjenza, Ta’ Giorni, San Gwann t’Ghuxa and Tal-Hawli. Buontempo added that if government “truly believed in dialogue” it would talk with the local councils to address the problems.
Whilst he would not confirm whether it was true or not, Sammut said that a number of the new busses were not working because they were meant to be scrapped.
Buontempo added that local councils were now also forced to compensate Arriva for any diversions the busses would have to do when a road would be closed for the village feast or a religious procession.
“I have reliable information from both members of the police force and local councils that they have to pay Arriva for the diversions.”
Buontempo added that Transport Malta has already made it clear that it would not be paying Arriva for roads closed by local councils. He also claimed, but could not confirm, that the foreign bus drivers were being paid twice as much – “if not three times” – the Maltese.