Many of the school buses that are to form part of the free school transport scheme are already full, the Education Ministry has warned.
"As soon as you hear of vans being full then inform the ministry so we can try to find an alternative solution," Logistics and Support Unit officer Roslyn Vella said.
The Education ministry held an online question and answer session on Thursday where it attempted to answer questions flooding social media ever since the government announced its free school transport scheme.
It is clear more vehicles are needed, the ministry representatives conceded.
"This is an ambitious, complicated project," Permanent Secretary Francis Fabri said.
The government announced on Saturday the conclusion of an agreement with transport service providers for free school transport for parents. As soon as the scheme was announced, parents started to raise questions on supervision, routes and pick-up times.
Pick-up times will have to be negotiated between parents and operators, and the government will be staying out of the issue, Dr Fabri said.
Pick-up points will also need to be negotiated between parents and the operators, he added. If children need to use the van for one-way and not the other, then they will also have to negotiate it with the operators, Dr Fabri said.
"See what you did last year and do it for the next five years," Dr Fabri told parents.
Children will not be monitored by a supervisor, as had been previously promised by the government. Instead, 'fobs' will be provided. The device can be attached to school bags and will be connected to an app which informs parents when the children will get on and off the bus.
Parents will need to buy additional fobs if a different school bag is used, Dr Fabri explained.
Parents can buy as many fobs as they need. “I don’t know the price, but it’s only a few euros,” education ministry representative Maria Galea said.
The representatives also advised parents that children will need to use the service at least 75 per cent of the scholastic year or parents will be penalised. The ministry representatives did not disclose the penalties that would be incurred.
For more information, parents are encouraged to visit https://schooltransport.edu.mt/