Council, football club file judicial protest against Ministry, Arriva, TM

Lawyer and Labour MP Luciano Busuttil, representing the Paola local council and the Hibernians Football Club, this morning filed a judicial protest against Arriva, Transport Malta and the Ministry for Transport, complaining of increased noise and air pollution as a result of the new public transport service.

The new plan was initially set for four bus stops in Antoine De Paule square in Paola. The council had objected to the plan, and three stops were removed, but one stop 'Paola 1' was retained. The bus stop is located next to Hibernians football club.

“Every day, an average of 144 buses pass by this stop, 25 of which during the night over the weekend,” Busuttil said, adding that many of the buses remain idle at the stop for approximately five minutes with their engines running.

Busuttil added that since the new service started, emission levels and noise pollution have increased in the area:

“Studies have revealed that the source of this pollution are the Arriva buses,” the lawyer said.

The noise report was carried out by Audioworks Limited. A copy of the study was submitted together with the judicial protest.

Busuttil explained that the noise pollution mainly derives from the running air-conditioning on the buses, opening and closing of the electronic doors and the engines 'hissing sound' when the buses stop and drive off.

He said that according to the World Health Organisation, (WHO), individuals should not be exposed to more than 50 decibels of noise on the outside and 30 decibels inside.

“Residents are however being exposed to an average of 85 decibels, at time reaching 102 decibels. The level of this noise increases every time there is more than one Arriva bus on the bus stop,” Busuttil concluded.