Transport Malta has denied there are plans to remove parking spaces in certain areas to improve access for Arriva buses.

The main issue is illegal parking

Arriva managing director Richard Hall had told The Sunday Times in an interview last month that removing “very small numbers” of parking spaces “in places like the centre of St Julian’s” would allow buses to pass through more easily.

Mr Hall said his predecessors had discussed removing spaces with Transport Malta.

But responding yesterday to questions about Mr Hall’s interview, a Transport Malta spokesman said: “The main issue regarding parking is illegal parking, therefore not requiring any specific removal of parking (spaces).”

Arriva is currently undertaking an exercise to re-evaluate journey times and frequencies in all route groupings to improve reliability.

Transport Malta sets the minimum number of services that must be operated and the maximum time a person should wait at a bus stop and Arriva must meet these obligations.

But schedules and estimated journey times are the sole responsibility of Arriva, the Transport Malta spokesman said.

Arriva must take into account all factors that affect service delivery, including passenger demand, traffic delays and boarding/alighting times, he said.

Once Arriva has set its timetables, it is contractually obliged to comply with them and is penalised when a bus arrives more than 10 minutes late.

Regarding the dismissal of drivers who abandoned their routes in October in protest at alleged pay discrepancies, revealed by Mr Hall in his interview, Transport Malta said it had been informed about the sackings but it did not need to grant approval.

Transport Malta also insisted the bus operator was meeting its contractual obligations for night routes.

In winter it runs night routes on Fridays and Saturdays and in summer it operates four night routes out of 13 all week and the rest on Fridays and Saturdays.

pcooke@timesofmalta.com