After the marathon meeting, held at the Ministry, sources said it seemed that both parties were understanding each others’ views but no agreement had been reached on the most important issues that were worrying bus owners and government alike.

The crux of the issue is that the bus owners want an increase in their salaries, especially because of the increase in the cost of living and the price of fuel for their buses.

On the other hand, government is saying that it will not consider this request before it sees a drastic improvement in the service.

Stories carried in The Malta Independent in the past few weeks have revealed that bus owners are requesting that their wage increases from Lm10,200 to Lm15,141 – an increase of Lm4,941 – in view of increases in the cost of diesel and in the cost of living. They said they have not been given a wage increase since 1998.

But government sources told this newspaper that its calculations of the amount bus owners were owed to cover cost-of-living increases and the increase in the price of fuel were different to the figure being requested by the bus owners.

Cost of living adjustment (COLA) and the fuel increases over the five years since 1998 amounted to a total of Lm663,000. When divided by the number of buses currently operating in Malta – 508 – the amount of the increase is Lm1,305 per bus. This is just 26.4 per cent of the amount being demanded for these increases.

Speaking to The Malta Independent yesterday, a spokesman for the ministry said yesterday’s meeting was cordial and brought both sides closer together. However, he said, no agreement had been reached on the matter being debated. He said the government was hoping to be able to reach a compromise on the issue in the coming days.

Asked whether the PTA had given the government its word that it would not issue directives to its members while discussions were under way, the spokesman replied in the negative. He said the bus owners could not give the government this guarantee because it depended on the rest of the committee members.

He said the government was now waiting for the PTA to return with its counter proposals, including its position on the ultimatum it gave the government.

During an interview on a local radio station two weeks ago, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said that despite the substantial amount of money that has been pumped into subsidising the service, there has not been sufficient improvement.

He said the time has come for a radical reform of the system, adding that there was also a need to reduce the number of buses in the fleet from the current figure of 508 because this is no longer sustainable.

Dr Gonzi said discussions were under way with the aim of reaching an agreement but if this is not reached, then the government will have to go ahead and take its own decisions.

Several attempts to contact PTA president Victor Spiteri for his side of the story proved unsuccessful.