SVENUK
12th Aug 2005, 09:42
Nows the time to earn some dosh to run your landies ;)
No agreement was reached in a meeting between the government and ATP on further subsidy granting. The mediation meeting which took place on Thursday saw the ATP requesting a further subsidy rise moving from the previously set Lm1.1 million to Lm1.7 million for bus-owners while the government stuck with the October 2004 agreement of Lm1.1 million and did not show that any change would be accepted.
Meanwhile the first effects of the dispute will appear later on Friday as most of the bus routes will stop operating at 2000CEST. The only routes which will continue functioning are routes 11, 19, 22, 45, 48, 49, 62 and 70.
It is said that bus routes and trips will go back to schedule on Saturday and Sunday but route 75, which normally operates trips from all over the country directly towards St. Luke’s Hospital will cease working on a widespread basis and continue to run just from Valletta.
ATP president Victor Spiteri added that as from Tuesday a total of 40 ATP employees would be dismissed gradually. The majority of theses workers are inspectors and ticket sellers.
Bus owners had come close to a bus strike in the first week of July over the subsidies issue. Action, however, was suspended after the parties accepted the intervention of two mediators.
Bus owners received a 5c increase in fares since last January after the measure was announced in the last Budget.
The Association said that the current situation was not sensible as it could not keep on operating at a loss or just to provide a service to the public. Furthermore the Lm1.1 million subsidies the Government was ready to provide were not enough. These realities are cornering the ATP into taking unwanted action such as the dismissal of employees and the removal of the less viable routes.
I wish our bus fares were as cheap over here :(
No agreement was reached in a meeting between the government and ATP on further subsidy granting. The mediation meeting which took place on Thursday saw the ATP requesting a further subsidy rise moving from the previously set Lm1.1 million to Lm1.7 million for bus-owners while the government stuck with the October 2004 agreement of Lm1.1 million and did not show that any change would be accepted.
Meanwhile the first effects of the dispute will appear later on Friday as most of the bus routes will stop operating at 2000CEST. The only routes which will continue functioning are routes 11, 19, 22, 45, 48, 49, 62 and 70.
It is said that bus routes and trips will go back to schedule on Saturday and Sunday but route 75, which normally operates trips from all over the country directly towards St. Luke’s Hospital will cease working on a widespread basis and continue to run just from Valletta.
ATP president Victor Spiteri added that as from Tuesday a total of 40 ATP employees would be dismissed gradually. The majority of theses workers are inspectors and ticket sellers.
Bus owners had come close to a bus strike in the first week of July over the subsidies issue. Action, however, was suspended after the parties accepted the intervention of two mediators.
Bus owners received a 5c increase in fares since last January after the measure was announced in the last Budget.
The Association said that the current situation was not sensible as it could not keep on operating at a loss or just to provide a service to the public. Furthermore the Lm1.1 million subsidies the Government was ready to provide were not enough. These realities are cornering the ATP into taking unwanted action such as the dismissal of employees and the removal of the less viable routes.
I wish our bus fares were as cheap over here :(