Friday, 11th July 2008 - 13:43CET
Update 2: Public transport strike, ministry calls off meeting
(Adds comments by the Transport Ministry)
The Federation of Public Transport Associations said today that public transport operators will go on strike on Monday unless the government withdraws new licences issued for the operation of hearses.
In a reaction the Transport Ministry said the decision on the introduction of new hearses is "final". It also announced it has called off a planned meeting with the federation and will not hold taks until the threat of industrial action is lifted.
The federation said the industrial actions will be taken by the Blue Grotto Boats, Gozo Bus Owners' Association, MiniBuses Co-Operative Motor Hearse Association - Malta and Gozo, Public Transport Association (route buses) and the White Taxis Amalgamated.
Victor Spiteri, speaking for the federation, told timesofmalta.com that all the associations will go out on indefinite strike from Monday.
"The action will continue for as long as the government does not withdraw the new licences," Mr Spiteri said.
"We are not against reform, but we against the hypocrisy of going to Cabinet and deciding, without consulting anyone, to issue new permits. This is a betrayal of an agreement reached two years ago between the then transport minister and the owners of hearses, who were made to invest heavily following agreement that no new licences would be issued. This was the same government, Mr Spiteri said.
Mr Spiteri also referred to recent comments by the Transport Ministry about the formation of a cartel and said that a cartel could still be formed by 30 operators.
"The worst thing the government has done is to give up control over the tariff. See what has happened in the school transport sector. Transport to government schools is regulated by a tender issued by the government, while parents of private school children pay far more for transport over the same distances," Mr Spiteri said.
He said the federation is not against reform and is calling for talks with Dr Gatt, but, he insisted the new licences must be withdrawn.
The Transport Ministry in its reaction said it has no intention of going for talks under the pressure of threats or while industrial action is in progress.
It added that it was unethical of the federation to have called industrial action after an appointment for a meeting was set. The meeting had been requested by the federation itself.
The ministry said the federation’s protest was nothing but an attempt to protect the monopolies which still exist in the transport sector, even though such monopolies are detrimental to consumers.
The ministry also insisted that the decision to allow new hearses is “final”.
"The truth is that these threats of industrial action show the indifference of the operators to their passengers. The government, on the other hand, feels it is its duty to first protect the interests of public transport users and potential users, the ministry said.
It reiterated that policies will not be conditioned by threats, and monopolies should be avoided except where they benefit consumers.
The ministry said a new appointment for talks with the federation will be set once the threat of industrial action is lifted. The talks will discuss further reforms in other transport sectors.
(See also Dr Gatt's comments on liberalisation and privatisation in '500 SMSs sent in Malta last year,' in the news section.)
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Comments
Ray Arpa
No one ever had guts enough to stand up to these people. Now we have Minister Gatt championing our cause with determination and with an apparent show of courage which we have never seen before. Gatt now needs our backing and support, even from those who do not see eye to eye with him politically, as all of us would be the losers if he fails.
I expect also, a very determined and clear stance from Joseph Muscat, which will demonstrate to all of us that he and all the MLP stand four square with the battered Maltese citizen, as he promised he would do when national issues cropped up.
If they are complaining about hypocracy, heres a few for them too:
Continually failing to improve or even sustain a acceptable degree of public transport, even though they recieve ridiculously unfair subsidies from the government.
Continually putting their tit for tat self interest ahead of the need to provide a service to the public, when they know that they are the only service due to a completly unfair monopoly.
Its about time government stood up to these people, sacked the lot of them and sold the vintage busses to overseas collectors, and open up the market to allow foriegn companies to apply to run a DECENT bus service to show us how its done properly. If they charge us more i'd glady pay it provided that the standard of service matched the price charged.
Tha sounds quite drastic - to lease foreign vehicles and have the Government run the service on a temporary basis.
Nonetheless, such decision sounds familiar ... correct me if I'm wrong but was this not what the Socialist Govt. in the 70's had done during the Baker's strikes?! I am happy to note your considerations to have all and sundry in the community served equally, you are now in your first steps towards learning the ideals of a Socialist and the advantages towards serving the community equally.
Nonethless I must however also point out that since the Maltese decision was in favour of joining the EU, let it be, and let's conitnue building in this manner and abolish all kinds of monopolies inclusive in such case of the heirs operators'. Who knows, maybe the portworkers shall be next in Minister Gatt's target. I am sure that such a move will ask for more considerations rather than an attack on 12 operators or so! After all their strike will cause a larger havoc.
A few hearse owners have been fleecing hapless mourners for ages at a time when one has to organise a funeral in a few hours and is in no state to go and shop around.
Now bus owners and taxi drivers and Blue Grotto boats have come to their rescue!
If there is a Minister who can take the bull by the horns after so many before him kept 'consulting' and 'discussing around a table' with the monopolists, it's Austin Gatt.
He deserves our fullest support in what could be an opportunity to do away with these monopolies in one fell swoop.
I suggest buses be temporarily leased from abroad and operated by the government as long as bus owners strike.
With the hearses, there are probably enough right now that have been imported but are locked up in garages that it won't make a difference if the others strike.
Taxis and Blue Grotto boats can strike to their hearts' content!
It's not time to be weak - it's time to show resolve and direction. This legislature can be a boon for the Maltese economy but only if these long standing problems (rent laws, drydocks, monopolies) are finally dealt with.
And then there are the bus drivers; those wonderful souls. Their lack of courtesy is notorious. They often treat their clients with a dismal display of discourtesy. They don't seem to care that passengers are paying their wages. It is not unusual to witness a bus driver verbally browbeating a passenger and occasionally overcharging them - especially poor hapless tourists. Why not? After all, "Duk barruni u ghandu hefna flus u ma jergghux jigi l'hawn." Of course he won't - the way you treated them makes sure of that.. Bus drivers often jam more people into the bus than is safe and legally allowed, and when they decide that they have reached capacity you often hear them being rude when telling passengers that there is no more room on the bus.
Should "public transport" make good on their threat, Maltese can be happy that, for a while, they can breathe cleaner air and drive on streets free of arrogant bus drivers.
It is about time for the government of Malta to cleanup this mess once and for all. Make public transport truly public - owned and operated by a government corporation.
My family and I visit Malta regularly, and on occasion, find it convenient or necessary to use public transportation, although we try to avoid it using it as much as possible. Take a look at those "cute " "vintage" buses - they are a public menace. Look at them - inside and out. They are poorly maintained and are doing great harm to Malta's environment and the health of all people in Malta as they belch black diesel exhaust fumes heavily laden with cancer-causing particulate matter. God help you if you happen to find yourself in a private car behind a bus in Malta. Many of these buses are clearly not road-worthy and in dire need of major overhauls. Now look inside the buses. In most of them, the gauges on the instrument panel do not work - the driver has no clue how fast, or slow he's driving - although most of them don't seem to care anyway. The seats In many buses can best be described as uncomfortable. Poor quality seats, often torn and in poor shape are common. Interior components rattle from loose floors and other fixture.
More ....
Take a look around Europe. Public transport systems are owned by the public and operated by the government. The vehicles are well maintained and in great condition, and driven by courteous bus drivers. The government of Malta should seriously consider taking over all buses that are meant for public transport and creating a publicly owned government agency that would employ the necessary staff to operate the system.
More to follow .....
In Malta the concept of free market does not apply in all sectors due to small existing market and due to the small size of the island. Examples can be found in the importation of foodstuffs and medicine where the market can be easily controlled by oligopolies.
In the public transport section I see no way forward in privatisation as, without the government subsidy, prices would have to more than double. That would mean the end of this service.
Though, I have my own private car and consider myself as being middle class, I regularly make use the public transport . I find such a service very efficient and the great majority of the drivers dedicated towards their job and quite polite. I think the mentality among the locals is that using the public service is downgrading, as driving a private car around gives you status symbol.
The majority of those who criticise this service are not willing to use such a service even if it were provided free of charge because such a service hurts their pride.
As regards where the black dust come from, maybe it would be good to check properly because there are many reasons why this forms (adding used engine oil, "burning" too much diesel to get more power, etc ) .... the problem is not what actually causes it BUT WHY THE AUTHORITIES DO NOT HAVE THE GUTS TO STOP THESE CARS. We have wardens looking for an open window while you are buying the newspaper, or looking for a dirty car .. but somehow they miss out the black dust. We have police, inspectors and everything ... but fuel tests are done only with the ADT van which shows you from 2 km away what it is doing. Or else you have to send an sms and hope. Will Dr Gatt have the guts to also stop this?
Next step should be the launch of an electric state of the art mini rail system covering the whole of Malta and executing it by redeploying the Malta shipyard resources for this project.
At least the Maltese people get a new transport system for the tax money going into the shipyards, the workers' future is secure and they would be greatly appreciated by the Maltese public.
The people of Malta deserve better but then you get what you deserve. But how many times did we say this? Who is kidding who here????? We are seeing so many big problems around us and it seems, it seems at least, we are all asleep. Smart Island my foot!!
If it is acceptable to you to breath the so called black dust that is fine. I can guarantee youthat it is not for me, and for the vast majority of Maltese.
Can you explain to me why some buses discharge this so called black dust and others do not. I think we all know the answear.
This is only the start to the END of Monopolies in Malta which has been in force for the past donkey years which is also against EEU Legislation.
So Mr Victor Spiteri stop shooting yourself in the leg,its a Lost cause.
You are playing with fire as this could back fire on you badly.
The Whole Nation is behind the decision (read comments).
Dont let anyone suffer the repercusions of your hard headed attitude.
How does one go about setting up a public meeting/silent protest/march/whatever to
a) urge government to go ahead with the reforms and
b) tell the PTA that the general public is fed up with them?
On the other hand, the biggest polluters, mainly due to the "invisible" but very toxic fumes are those cars running on unleaded petrol which DO NOT HAVE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER (and those running with an expired/faulty one). These people think that they are doing a "green deed" by chosing unleaded, but they are ending up causing much more harm than if they used leaded petrol !
No we are not joking. We are dead serious. The air will be cleaner.
I am all in favour of using the public transport system but this has to be efficient, comfortable and clean. Since you apparently do not drive, you may have never experienced driving up Mellieha behind a bus emitting all sorts of burnt chemicals into our lungs. And if you spot a car that is visibly polluting excessively, please report it.
Rest assured that the strike won't take long and will surely proof ineffective!
...then you have number of fossils such as shipyard and public transport workers who expect us to pay them rent and guarantee them and their "familji" a safe relaxed life whilst they are inefficient and give us the worse of services.
Enough is enough. These people have to be thrown in the jungle of life where they have to work to achieve like most of us do.
We will be rid of the arrogance of the drivers and the massive pollution cased by the public transport buses.
Unaccompanied drivers join these lanes at designated spots from where they pick up passengers. In Malta these are not very practical since most of the roads do not have more than 2 lanes. But the same principle could be adopted to reduce the number of cars on the roads. Perhaps it could be tested if the strike goes on.
Once the Federation has decided to bring matters to a head, the Minister might bring other issues to the table to improve the whole system, including the appearance and behaviour of the operators, and the efficiency and frequency of the service. Perhaps some re-training or refresher courses for the operators could be introduced in the process.
If the transport guys are resorting to strike action, i encourage Government to introduce a complete transport overhaul at one go. The public mood is one of defiance and Government should capitalise. Have small morsels of reform will translate into patchy reform that will not deliver an effective transport system. Start with the taxis. The will have a bumper time as strike action progresses.
In the meantime well done Mr.Gatt, wé are up to our noses with inefficiencies in our public transport which is chronically riddled with that cursed malady of a Monopoly!!!
Some comments where made that on Monday there will be a greener air, please let me note to all of you that in One Bus normally in the morning it is full of passengers and TOURIST, and during the day also, and what about some persons saying that there will be no Traffic Jams if the public transport stops. ARE YOU JOKING???? THERE WILL BE DEFENATALY MORE CARS ON THE ROAD, since a lot of people go to work, including myself by the means of a BUS. How will I go to work then on Monday???
And about the services that these drivers give, lets not judge please, all work environment have their negative points, and let me assure you speaking from experience, since I use myself the public transport you find also arrogant passengers. And with the situation of the roads in Malta it is not comfortable for drivers, as well as the high temperature do not help these drivers.
Read my article again, understand it, before you make comments.
I said the majority of drivers and that I do not want a car.
L.
I run a small hotel and i can assure everyone that this won't do good to tourism. Maltese citizens have friends and relatives who they MIGHT be able to rely on for transport, but tourists don't, and it will create havoc. At the same time, i do agree that the minister calls off the meeting as these bus drivers need to be put in their place.
don't these guys realise that the service they provide is unreliable, expensive, uncomfortable
and a bit useless at best?
regular strikes sure helps increase customer confidence!
it's high time the government takes action, introduces full liberalisation between a number of
companies operating buses and other forms of public transport, useable routes and timetables, and maybe makes it possible to live in a small country without having a car!
Let's see what the new Labour leader stands for. Judging by the last two weeks, I think that the 'gallerija' is very attractive.
"One" of my reasons for hesitating moving to Malta is I do not want a car and because of the poor public transport and the majority of the unfriendly drivers, it is a negitive.
Let them strike and when they finish there strike, the residence of Malta should car pool and not take the busses until the system is brought into the modern age.
When you say that Busses pollute, you are confirming that all the state of the art high tech. bla bla bla instruments used to make sure, that ALL vehicles are clean is a farce, and also confirming that this administration, has been, and is still taking you for a ride!
The issue is, that diesel has gone up and so should the fares - end of!
Whether this administration had been taking you for a ride for these last 10 years is another issue, like for example the new busses, new state of the art ticketing system, etc etc etc!
Now enjoy!
at least monday will be a greener day!!
It seems that it is part of the Maltese culture to only point out the negative aspects of the public transport buses, it is now the public's mentality and whatever they do is going to look bad. The operation is step by step moving towards a better service, with more respect from the public, a bus owner will be motivated to provide a better service.
Minor problem not having hearses around but hey.....we can be creative! Can't we?
so the strike will be 50% less effective. :-)
Have you given a thought about the thousands of tourists stranded at their hotel and cannot move about and the lost business as a consequence?
Or the other thousands of workers who for some reason or another cannot have their own private transport and the lost hours of work as a consequence?
This strike if it ever takes off will cause havoc and pain rather than a breath of fresh air as many of the correspondents seem to imply. Have you ever thought that a normal bus load means about 30 to 40 less cars on our roads? I just wonder who's the greatest culprit of air pollution the buses or the private cars. Just because the smaller cars do not bealch black fumes in no way are they exonerated from guilt.
On the other hand, am just waiting to see how many of the members of the federation would actually strike for the sake of 9 owners who make quite a buck out of people's misery.
(1) Enjoy better conditions and law enforcement .... except where it would hurt you
(2) Enjoy better prices due to liberalisation and the end of monopolies ... except the one you operate in.
This was the tactic used to convince the people to vote for the EU, at that time helped also by the several presidents of associations, employers, buisness owners, etc that were explaining to their members that although they would enjoy all EU benefits, their sector would not be touched and they would not be effected negatively because the government has got a derogation.
It happened to hunters, dockyard workers, public transport operators, etc
Now the government has to face these promises cannot be kept because the regulations and the Accesion Treaty stipulate otherwise.
Then, if he really promised the hearse owners that if they change their cars, they were guaranteed five years of no new licences, its even worse
Couldn't you strike a bit more often?
The time of monopolies is Looooooooonng past!!
So Mr. Spiteri is not against reform but of it being implemented without his say so. Because the owners invested heavily in the departed industry! What do you mean are they offering a five star service to the deceased?
On a more serious note, why not get realistic ? A general transport strike because of a few hearses ? The PTA might justify it as 'solidarity' but where is the social conscience in all this ???
Why are these ppl so afraid of competition ? Is it because they are fully aware that they will NOT be able to compete ?
Many others were against liberalisation of their markets, like that of furniture, just to mention one. Now we may buy a table for €70, ready to collect, instead of LM90 to be ready in two years (maybe).
It will be nice, when new operators could invest heavily in new vehicles instead of old licences!!!
The governement should now go for the rest, liberalise the all, this way slowly we will get some help on the streets as well.
If the government liberalises now, a lot of entrepreneurs will come out and that will beat the strike in the long run. Give them police coverage and bring out the army to help if need be. Let's just shut these people up once and for all. I am tired of being embarassed at airports, engulfed in polution and being bullied like this.
I'm a taxpayer, I want to see better use of the money I pay like everyone else.
Excellent - all we now need is an efficient transport system to replace those that have now resigned with buses that dont kill everyone around them with their fumes
• Use private transport where available.
• Walk to your destination if possible.
• Offer lifts to people at bus stops.
• Hitch a lift.
• Organise car pools with your work colleagues/friends.
• Don't grumble!
No buses = no extra pollution on the principal roads (and no traffic jams)
No white taxis = no excessive lunatic drivers
Net result - less traffic, less congestion, the people gain!
Well done to the public transport operators, possibly the best thing they could have done!
I think the transport sector is one of those in urgent need of reform in Malta, considering the quality of service which is sometimes lacking (especially in communication with tourists as punctuality is quite good, and the standard of some of the buses in use which leaves to be desired), and the fact that it functions very similarly to a monopoly due to limited competition between providers. This is more to the consumers' disadvantage in some sub-sectors than others. Everyone knows that taxi services are hardly used by Maltese people due to exhorbitant fees and no strict adherence to meter usage. If this were opened to competition, it would no doubt improve as fees decrease while quality of service improve as providers compete for customers. The competition situation needs to be clearly studied, proposals forwarded and then implemented by government. It has been too long a time the transport sector has been left to function at its own will, and not that of the people in the market.
However, the hearse market may have difficulties such as limited demand, which no doubt have to be studied.
Lovely!
We can now look forward to roads free from the arrogance of so-called 'public' transport drivers.
Thank heavens for such pleasures!
Dear Minister, then take the subsequent action.....