The bus service operator would not deny a claim that it is buying diesel from State fuel company Enemed at a cheaper price than at the pumps.

On Monday, Opposition spokeswoman Marthese Portelli asked in Parliament whether Malta Public Transport was benefitting from special rates on the diesel purchased for its vehicles.

However, the Spanish-run company – which receives heavy subsidies from the government – said the information was commercially sensitive.

In Parliament, Dr Portelli said such an arrangement would be scandalous as the yearly €30 million government subsidy was triple the amount received by the company’s predecessor Arriva.

It would also add insult to injury to thousands of motorists who were paying through their nose in spite of the sharp drop in oil prices.

The increase in State aid had not resulted in any improvement as the level of service had deteriorated, Dr Portelli added.

Such an arrangement would be scandalous

Contacted for his reaction, Malta Public Transport commercial director Daniel Grech would not say whether the agreement existed nor if the company was buying its fuel from Enemed.

He said such information was “commercially sensitive”.

Dr Portelli later told this newspaper that the lack of denial from both the bus company and the Transport Ministry fuelled even greater suspicions.

“There would be nothing commercially sensitive in the matter if the company was buying diesel at the same price at which consumers are being charged at the pumps,” she said.

In a statement released in reply to Dr Portelli’s remarks in Parliament, the ministry dodged the issue completely while refuting claims that the service was a complete failure.

While acknowledging that there was room for improvement, the ministry said that efforts were being made to increase punctuality and information for passengers.

The new operator has introduced 24 new routes, tweaked 43 existing ones and increased its fleet by 143 buses, thus boosting the number of daily trips by 400, the ministry pointed out.

In an immediate reaction, the Nationalist Party said that in spite of its attacks on the Opposition, the ministry had failed to reply to the question raised by Dr Portelli.