Maltese are really hospitable, students whose driver was attacked are told

Ninety foreign students, some of who witnessed a violent incident on Wednesday during the public transport strike, were yesterday presented with Malta Tourism Authority gifts and mementos as an apology for the incident and proof of Maltese hospitality.

"We're here to apologise for the incident that a number of you had to witness during the transport strike. These (strikes) are things that occasionally happen... Thank God it's over now... In Malta we pride ourselves on hospitality," the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Mario de Marco, told the English language students at Sir Temi Zammit boys' secondary school in Mtarfa.

On Wednesday, the students, mostly from Italy and some from Romania, were on two coaches that had just arrived at St Dorothy's school in Żebbuġ, where their language courses were being held. One of the coach drivers was allegedly assaulted by a mini-van driver when the students were still on board. A mini-van driver appeared in court later that same day and charged with the incident.

The students received a package of MTA tokens, including a pen drive, a stress ball, lanyard, mobile phone charms, a pen, a lapel pin and a book.

Flanked by MTA chairman Sam Mifsud and CEO Josef Formosa Gauci, Dr de Marco said he hoped that, during their two-week stay, the students would find out for themselves that the large majority of Maltese people were very hospitable.

"I hope you enjoy the learning experience and also get to enjoy Malta as a country with its beaches, entertainment and a population that always welcomed foreigners and students," he said.

Malta treasured the English language learning industry and had good relations with both Italy and Romania MTA officials had worked hard to minimise the strike's impact on students and foreigners, Dr de Marco said.

Two teenage Italian girls, who were on the coach whose driver was attacked, recounted to The Times how a mini-van driver started banging on their coach driver's window and shouting words in Maltese as another two men tried to restrain them. They described how the "angry man" then reached into the coach and punched their driver.

"He was really angry... He looked mad.... We were scared because we didn't know what was going on," they said. With a smile on their face, the two friends are alright now. "We know these things happen," they said.