I presume that the journalist exhorted public opinion to welcome the selection of the preferred consortium made up of previous bus owners who teamed up with Tumas Group and the German owned Arriva.
Transport has always been a bone of contention in this country, and because of its poor image, many commuters preferred to invest heavily in personal cars (sometimes more than one) rather than to be let down by the shoddy service. But the buses emitting black belching fumes that still grace our roads may come to an abrupt end if the preferred bidder Arriva ties the knot.
In fact we see how Arriva was itself the object of a brisk takeover bid successfully sealed by Deutsche Bahn who paid GBP1.5bn. The German state-owned transport group concluded its takeover bid for Tyne-and-Wear-based firm last April.
So the Germans will now be running the roost and we shall enjoy Teutonic efficiency in a Club Med country which for many decades complained of a shoddy transport service.
The Times journalist seemed to hark us in praising the selection stating that the successful bidder is now aiming to increase bus passengers by 54% over current levels by the end of the 10-year contract term, as well as to reduce the carbon footprint of Malta’s bus operation by 15%.
When party apologists announced the move to privatise public transport there was also a sigh of relief. It appears that no tears were shed by commuters following the termination of old licences.
One still remembers the militancy displayed by transport workers last year when they on strike in sympathy with hearse drivers.
For almost a week their actions brought the country to a stand still. They parked their buses in the main Floriana thoroughfare and temporarily blocked the streets. (no wardens in sight ) They teased commuters who were left stranded on the bus stops waiting for alternative transport vehicles (mostly army trucks) provided by the government.
This has permeated an image of an infamous and incorrigible gang which muscled in their grip on the transport sector.
Another incident reminds us of the unruly behaviour of some drivers. A recent mishap occurred involving a female Spanish passenger and a bus driver who threw tickets in her face and pulled her arm in an attempt to throw her out of the bus.
Other instances come to pass when tourists arrive at the terminus and try to alight into a bus for the airport. Typically, foreigners carrying two moderately-sized travelling bags are seen as abusing the bus driver’s patience.
Invariably bus drivers abuse foreigners calling them names and end up shouting hysterically at them. This is followed with a scene when all of a sudden bags are seen jettisoned out of the bus. One can only be sorry for the hapless tourist who did not opt for a taxi.
Another incident involved a driver blowing his top because some African passenger said something he didn’t like. The driver went nuts and moved angrily to scare the African man who was not moved by his abusive remarks.
Having said all that it has been known that not all apples in the barrel are rotten.
In fact you will find the odd one that is totally different: helpful, friendly and gives a hand to elderly people. In view of these and other incidents, can we afford not to be wary that the reform of the transport sector will not be the same wine in new bottles?
Some reports in the press have intimated that the present breed of bus drivers will be retained under the reformed transport system. If this is the case, it is very clear that, unless the reform tackles the transformation of conduct and attitudes of these drivers who stand to be the core implementers of the reform vis-a-vis the main customer it will not be the success that we are all hoping for and expecting.
It is fascinating that the same owners who bargained so hard when dealing with the government for compensation have now joined up with Tumas Group and a German owned Arriva.
Under the terms of an agreement the government reached with bus drivers, it included a condition that whoever wins the bid to run the new public transport system will have to offer them a guaranteed 10-year job.
But was it a fair price to pay to clean the slate and start anew? It is a thorn in any reformist back. The whole compensation package paid to 405 bus drivers totalled a cool €53.8 million.
Can the country afford to buy back old buses when for example we heard that the electoral promise to trim tax for managers costing €40 million is unaffordable? Given the mood of austerity being branded by the private sector particularly those in the export business it not surprising that they complain that such a sum is excessive.
Buses have already been subsidised out of taxpayer’s monies for the tune of €35,000 eac
It was unpalatable that the Government bought them back paying €117,000 (for the new buses) and €98,000 for the pre-1950 bone shakers.
To sugar the pill, government insisted that the compensation to the bus owners would not impact the national deficit since it would be paid by Transport Malta, which, in line with recent changes to the law, was not part of the government budget.
But then who paid for the surplus in Transport Malta’s coffers? …it is us commuters and taxpayers. The icing on the cake was a 10-year job guarantee for the bus owners which had set the ire of the president of the Chamber of Commerce.
In fact we read that Business Chamber President Helga Ellul complained that in this day and age, one does not dream of a government doling out ten year job guarantees particularly at a time when companies are facing the ill wind of a recession and higher fuel bills.
Did we offer 10 year guarantees to St Microelectronic workers who recently accepted hefty cuts in salaries? On a positive note, one hopes that Arriva employs buses of smaller dimension more adaptable to our narrow village roads . The ministry assured us all that the new consortium will be a hallmark of new expertise and professional management, as well investing back €47 million although one wonders what will happen to the new buses bought by the government. Will they be exchanged to Arriva at a premium?
The PR exercise claimed that Arriva will introduce new buses with eco-driving technology and full air –conditioning. It will provide “extensive” passenger information, with information panels on each stop, route information on all buses, publications, online information and a call centre.
On a positive note Arriva owned by the German state is renown for its quality transport services it provides across Europe particularly in Britain. It enjoins a spotless reputation for reliability and one hopes that under its direction the poor Malta commuter can look forward for an improved system with a reduced damage to the environment. As a concluding comment we notice that the movement of goods and people, which we call traffic, is a function of the economy, and behaves exactly as the wider economy does. With a 2 per cent growth in traffic we see how the present old fleet of buses cannot cope with the additional demand and no matter what the final cost to the average commuter we need a drastic change for the better.
George M. Mangion
The writer is a partner in PKF, an audit and business advisory firm
gmm@pkfmalta.com
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