Funds owed to bus owners for the provision of bus services to Mater Dei Hospital are to be paid by Thursday, a spokesman for Transport Malta said.

Thursday was the deadline set earlier today by the bus owners' association (PTA) which warned that it would otherwise suspend the service to the hospital.

The authority said payments had been delayed by verifications and communications issues between various departments.

The ATP has warned that the bus service to the hospital would be suspended indefinitely from Thursday until Transport Malta kept its contractual obligations and paid for the service it provided in the past months, which amounted to many thousands of euros.

The ATP said that the chairman of Transport Malta and the Transport Minister were informed of the delay in payment on November 3 but nothing had been done.

The association apologised to the people who may be affected by the actions, but said everyone should understand that one should be paid for a service provided.

The Pulse students' organisation this afternoon regretted a decision by the bus owners' association (PTA) to suspend bus services to and from Mater Dei Hospital, saying this would also affect University students.

Pulse in its statement said that while it recognised the right of the bus drivers to take industrial action, it was unfair that thousands of students would not be able to use the buses to go to University.

It urged the Transport Ministry and Transport Malta to remedy the situation.

The KSU University Students' Council also expressed its concern.

"Students should not be used as leverage in matters which are only of secondary concern to them. This sort of action is not proportionate, and more positive action could have probably been taken had the parties that will be affected been consulted," the Council said.