Plea to resume direct bus service to hospital

St Luke's Hospital has deplored the stoppage of the direct public bus service from towns and villages to the hospital and appealed for the service to be restored as soon as possible.

The disruption of the service is part of the action ordered by the Public Transport Association after talks with the government over subsidies fell through.

The St Luke's communications office said yesterday the direct bus service was essential and that the stoppage was affecting "the most vulnerable people who have to visit their relatives in hospital, employees of St Luke's and patients who use the service because they need to visit hospital regularly".

The PTA on Thursday ordered most bus trips to stop at 8 p.m., with only routes 11, 19, 22, 45, 48, 49, 62 and 70 running according to schedule from Monday to Friday. Route 75 is running only between Valletta and St Luke's.

There has so far been no communication between the government, the Malta Transport Authority (ADT) and the PTA on the matter.

Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett is insisting there was no way the Lm1.1 million subsidy offer by ADT could be topped up by Lm600,000 as the PTA was demanding.

The minister said the authority would be deducting from the subsidy Lm2,000 a day until the association lifts its directives and Lm5,000 for each worker laid off by the PTA.

The PTA is basing its subsidies claim on increases in maintenance and fuel costs. According to the association the government is using the subsidies issue to mask its real intention which is to reduce the number of bus operators.