Wednesday, 16th July 2008 - 18:10CET
Transport strike: New mediation effort launched
Barklori service also stopped after threats
A new mediator has launched fresh efforts to resolve the public transport dispute, Transport Minister Austin Gatt told a press conference this afternoon.
He said agreement had been close in another mediation effort yesterday but everything fell through following outside pressure on the Hearses Association.
He said he had been told that transport associations could not back out of the Transport Federation unless they paid a fine running into some €23,393.
Dr Gatt revealed that the service by barklori (oarsmen) across Grand Harbour has, like that at Marsamxett, been stopped following threats made to the boat owners and crews. Dr Gatt said the ferry crews had been warned that they would be sought out "one by one" while the barklori were told their boats would be targeted.
The minister said the only licensed hearse in Gozo had resumed services, and the owner of a horse drawn hearse had also indicated he would start conducting funerals.
The minister praised the police for their actions and said the deployment of the SAG today was a sign that patience was running out. No one would be allowed to spoil other people's holidays by blocking the way to the airport, he said. Similarly, St Anne Street in Floriana had now been opened and would remain that way.
Dr Gatt said taxis were noticeable by their absence in the protests on the streets. It looked like several taxi owners had parked their vehicles and were providing services by black taxis, he said.
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Comments
While the idiots applaud, long live Margaret Thatcher... and her Maltese disciple.
We cannot bring the country to halt.
Taxi drivers are doing as the Maltese saying says "La ddardarx il-ghajn li tixrob minnha"..
The GOVERMENT should stop the licences from these people , after all they are subsidised from our taxes . So they should stop now and leave other people in peace .
A few hundred thugs threaten the livelihood of our nation while the police and forces look on.
The tourist industry will suffer and so will all of us.
We hear of a few arrests but also hear that persons that are willing to give a service are stopping this service because of threats while the police look on.
Who is to blame?
I, like most, pay taxes that some of it ends as payroll for the police.
Ask yourself, are the police doing their duty?
Are a few arrests enough?
I say NO.
I expect that the laws are applied equally to all and if the only way to keep the peace and hold on to what we gained is to arrest all trouble makers, then let it be.
Finally it is the responsibility of the forces of the law to do their duty.
Our Public Transport System and it drivers.
Kind of ironic that Mahmoud Abbas was here to witness this great moment.
"why i am not reading about the threats that these transport people are having on their living and their families.?why i am not reading that these people were promised something before the election and now it is not being kept.?why does people like tha barklori be strike breakers and infuriate the strikers?why did not the prime minister interfere when austin gatt said that the letter sent to the transport drivers was sent by another minister?was jesmond mugliett doing these on his own initiative?should legal action be taken against him for misguilding the parliament and creating all this havoc.why dosnt people realise that we were taking for a ride by joining the eu and taking the bait that before election everthing was flower and roses."
Good question Mr Cabonaro. Could ithe answer be that people have realised that they have been taken for a ride alright, by the transport service for the last fifty years or more!
Keep it up. THIS is what governing is all about. What a far cry from being denied the right to strike in Mintoff's days!!!
Dr. A. Gatt, it seems that white taxis has other means of transport ie
the black taxis. So what's keeping the government to retreat their
licences?
After all these threats and all the harm done to the country, are the busses
will continue to take the subsides? Now is the right time to retreat all
the licences at their own expense.
And by the way during the night time is safer to drive as all mini-vans and taxis
are out of the road.
E60,000 x 3 days of strike = E180,000 saved from the 'kaxxa ta Malta'.
I suggest that the Gozo Transport will benefit from the money saved.
No appeasing them this time.
Dr. Gatt, you showed them your strong resolve, please don't back down now!
The TRUE REASON behind all this is a SHOW OF FORCE between Dr. Gatt and Dr. Gonzi, with the former trying to show that HE has enough guts to "take" decisions unlike the PM who talks a lot but then stops with half-baked reforms. He came out with this decision and the idea of confrontation when both the PM and vice-PM were away from the island. Now he leaves them to face the free-for-all situation: Gonzi has to either keep going and risk using army to the full... or else back up and look tame once again!
Resign sirs, and have some dignity.
To improve the quality that tourists expect we need to improve our roads, tourists info centres, enforce against those that charge tourists, for just being so! and re-organize our historic sites. (Currently it is a easier for a Maltese accompanying a tourist to visit les louvres than to visit hypogeum! ) This list has been in never-ending discussions mode since the 80s. Unfortunately in Malta the more arrogant and bullies associations are the more they gain power. This has always revolved around the voting force.
Maybe this is the start to improve our country. The authorities need to wake up in all sectors and not feel vote threatened as surely it is not just transport that needs to be improved but nearly all sectors.
Maltese are tired to feel shy infront of tourists.
Monopolies should go from
Taxi service
Bus service
Pharmacies (no body mentions these, go try get a license and you'll see!)
Hearses
And any other monopolies that we presently unfortunately have.
The sooner the government (and hopefully the oppostion does not do spokes in the wheels as it is renowed in doing) removes all monopolies the better.
They have attacked US their regular clients!! This not only is biting the hand that feeds you, it defies every civilised behaviour towards clients. It is evident that while many decent drivers exist, there is also a substantial group of illiterate thugs who are incapable of any other work except driving and have somehow ended up in public transport
What confidence are we to have in the army?,I don.t blame the young soldier-driver from running off, what else could he do - but what action has THE ARMY taken on someone who attacked it?!
And what spinless government is it that when an emergency service is threatned pulls out to leave people who depend entirely on public transport to get to work to fend for themselves?