No change was visible on the roads yesterday as the new Spanish bus operator took over the public transport service.
Autobuses de Leon marked the occasion with a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Qormi, where a handful of buses sported the new green and white colour scheme.
The company will retain the name Malta Public Transport, adopted by the government when it nationalised the bus service last year.
Felipe Cosman, the company chairman, said changes would be introduced gradually over the next few months, with the more radical development happening in July, when an electronic transport card would be introduced.
He said bus fares would increase for commuters who bought tickets on the bus but remain unchanged for those using the electronic card, which would be similar to the Oyster card used on London’s public transport service.
Changes will be introduced over the next few months, with the more radical ones happening in July
The card was intended to discourage commuters from buying tickets on the bus. “Paying the driver and waiting for the change reduce efficiency because it slows down the system and so we are giving commuters a quicker alternative,” Mr Cosman said.
A single journey would cost 75c for an adult using the electronic card and €1.50 if the ticket is bought on the bus, rising to €2 in summer.
A single journey today costs €1.30 and a day ticket that can be used any time throughout the same day costs €1.50. Mr Cosman said the day ticket concept would be stopped.
Block tickets for the elderly, children and students will see their prices drop marginally.
No details were given on the cost of the card but Transport Minister Joe Mizzi said it would be given free to all Kartanzjan [an identity card for those over 60] holders. It is planned that the card will be available for sale from retail outlets, where one can also top it up. It can also be topped up via mobile phone or the internet.
Mr Mizzi said the contract with Autobuses de Leon would be tabled in Parliament when it reconvened later this month. The new ticketing system also meant that tickets bought in Gozo could be used in Malta and vice versa. He said the government opted for a soft launch to ensure a seamless transition between operators and new routes and increased frequencies announced in 2013 after a widespread consultation exercise would be phased in over the coming months.
Mr Cosman said the company would employ 100 new drivers immediately and another 200 by the end of the year.
By the third quarter, Malta Public Transport will get 142 new buses powered by Euro VI engines that fulfil the highest EU specifications.
The new 9.6-metre-long vehicles will have two doors and boost the fleet complement to 360, about 100 more than what Anglo-German company Arriva had.
By the end of January, the company is expected to bring over about 40 rented buses from abroad to replace the fleet leased from the Unscheduled Bus Service. The contract with UBS expires at the end of the month.
Transport Malta executive chairman James Piscopo said the company would receive a subsidy of €23 million this year and €29 million next year, when the full route network would be up and running.
He said the contract avoided automatic increases in fares to cover inflation as had been the case in the past. Instead, it will be at the regulator’s sole discretion to determine whether compensation for inflation should come from higher fares, a higher subsidy or a mixture of both.
Mr Piscopo said the previous transport operator had wanted €45 million for the route network that would eventually be in place while a Maltese company that was also bidding for the contract had asked for €40 million. He justified the subsidy, saying it was necessary to ensure an affordable, socially sensitive service.
kurt.sansone@timesofmalta.com