AD spokesperson on transport and infrastructure Ralph Cassar called on government to invest in workers who operate the public transport service, instead of throwing money down the drain by widening roads, a policy which only serves to postpone the problem. Investment in alternative transport is also a must. It has also come to light that MPT is resorting to importing drivers from Pakistan in order to be able to continue with a “cheap labour” policy.
AD spokesperson Ralph Cassar asked:”Does this mean that government, which ultimately controls the service contract with MPT, is happy with the situation and is accepting that public transport workers are paid on the cheap? This is simply not on in what is supposed to be a thriving EU economy.”
”No wonder MPT is not keeping up with the demand for public transport since there aren’t enough workers to operate the service, let alone enough to increase services. The reason is patently obvious. Public transport drivers are not valued. Low wages and poor working conditions mean that local workers are not choosing public transport as a career through which they can feel proud of offering a service to the public. The only way forward is to make working in public transport attractive and giving workers fair compensation in this extremely important sector. Government should stop considering public services as expendable and cheap and surely not follow the model of its predecessor.”
“WIth some 200 or so less public transport drivers than needed to keep to the timetables, people are finding that buses are full-up and do not stick to the schedule. An inefficient service will not attract more people and will continue leaving passengers stranded. What we need is more people using public transport. This means an increase in services, an increase in buses and an increase in bus drivers and other support and technical staff. This means decent and attractive salaries and working conditions and also an increase in subsidies. This will all be money well spent since this will lead to less congestion on the roads, and prevent the waste of billions of Euros in spending on road and undersea tunnel building. Not to mention the threat to agricultural land and unbuilt land. A good quality of life also means spending on public transport, alternative means of transport, cleaner air and job creation in these sectors.”
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Investiment fin-nies għal trasport pubbliku aħjar
Il-kelliem ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika dwar it-trasport u l-infrastruttura Ralph Cassar stieden lill-gvern biex jinvesti fil-ħaddiema tat-trasport pubbliku. Minflok il-gvern qed jipposponi l-problema tat-traffiku billi jwessgħa t-toroq. Jekk il-gvern mingħalih dan se jsolvi xi ħaġa sejjer żbaljat. Minflok għandu jsir investiment f’trasport alternattiv u fit-tisħiħ tas-sistema ta’ trasport pubbliku. Il-fatt li MPT, li topera b’kuntratt mogħti mill-gvern, qed tirrikorri għal sewwieqa mill-Pakistan, juri li fit-trasport pubbliku l-politika hija dik taċ-‘cheap labour’ fejn il-ħaddiema li joperaw is-servizz mhux stmati.
Il-kelliem ta’ AD Ralph Cassar staqsa: “Dan ifisser li l-gvern, li fl-aħħar mill-aħħar jikkontrolla l-kuntratt ta ‘servizz ma’ MPT, huwa kuntent bis-sitwazzjoni u qed jaċċetta li l-ħaddiema tat-trasport pubbliku jitħallsu bl-irħis? Hekk jiġu trattati l-ħaddiema ta’ servizz essenzjali f’ekonomija Ewropea b’saħħitha?”
“Kif mistenni l-MPT mhix qed tlaħħaq mad-domanda għat-trasport pubbliku peress li m’hemmx biżżejjed ħaddiema biex joperaw is-servizz. Aħseb u ara kemm se ħħid aktar servizzi. Ir-raġuni għaliex hija evidenti. Is-sewwieqa tat-trasport pubbliku mhumiex stmati sew. Pagi baxxi u kundizzjonijiet ħżiena tax-xogħol ifissru li l-ħaddiema lokali mhumiex jagħżlu t-trasport pubbliku bħala karriera li permezz tagħha jistgħu jħossuhom kburin li joffru servizz utli u essenzjali lill-pubbliku. L-uniku triq ‘il quddiem hija li l-gvern jieħu miżuri biex ix-xogħol fit-trasport pubbliku isir attraenti u dinjituż. Il-kuntratt għandu jiżgura li l-ħaddiema f’dan is-settur importanti estremament jingħataw kumpens ġust u kundizzjonijiet dinjitużi. Il-Gvern għandu jieqaf jikkunsidra s-servizzi pubbliċi bħala xi ħaġa li ssir bl-irħis minn fuq dahar il-ħaddiema. Huwa importanti li fil-qasam tat-trasport pubbliku ma jsegwix il-mudell tal-predeċessur tiegħu.”
“B’madwar 200 sewwieq inqas milli meħtieġ biex l-operaturi tas-servizz iżommu mal-iskedi, in-nies qed isibu li l-karozzi tal-linja jgħaddu mimlijin. Huwa ċirku vizjuż li mhux se jattira aktar nies u se jkompli jħalli passiġġiera mweħħlin jistennew, meta l-pajjiż għandu bżonn aktar u aktar nies jużaw it-trasport pubbliku. Biex t-trasport pubbliku jissaħħaħ hemm bżonn żieda fis-servizzi, żieda fil-karozzi tal-linja u ukoll żieda fis-sewwieqa tal-karozzi tal-linja u ħaddiema oħra tekniċi u ta’ sapport. Dan ifisser salarji deċenti u attraenti u kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol tajbin kif ukoll żieda fis-sussidji.”
“Min jargumenta kontra investiment u sussidji fit-trasport pubbliku huwa żbaljat jew jemmen li s-suq għandu jirrenja fuq kollox. Investiment serju jwassal għal inqas konġestjoni fit-toroq, u jfisser li ma jinħlewx il-biljuni ta’ Ewro f’bini ta’ u ta’ mini taħt il-baħar. Ifisser ukoll kwalita’ ta’ ħajja aħjar, arja iktar nadifa, anqas kampanja u uċuh tar-raba meqruda u anke l-ħolqien tal-impjiegi.”
