A widow and her three children yesterday filed a judicial protest against the Malta Transport Authority to authorise the registration and licensing of open-top double decker buses.

Marianna Spiteri and her three children claimed that in 1993, her husband Angelo Spiteri had imported three open-top double decker buses to provide private transport services for tourists. The importation took place after 1990, when bus operators were encouraged to try different things and put on special types of services for tourists, including open-top buses.

The three double deckers had been released by the customs authorities after import duty was paid, and the Spiteris had, in 1993 requested the registration of the buses and the issue of a licence so they could be used. But to date, neither the registration nor the issue of the licences had been passed.

The Spiteris added that in 1993, the MTA had authorised the importation of the three buses for local use and had also told the Spiteris that it was the MTA’s intention to grant licences for the operation of open-top buses.

The Spiteris had put their complaint before the European Commission and in February 2005, Commissioner Gunter Verheugen ruled that the retention of national legislation prohibiting the licensing of double deckers was an obstacle to the free market, as these vehicles were authorised in other EU member states.

Following this criticism, the MTA had issued a call for tenders for the provision of a sightseeing passenger tour service using open-top buses for two routes. But the Spiteris claimed that the conditions contained in the tender document were not commercially viable.

The Spiteris claimed that the MTA’s actions were irresponsible and abusive, causing them to suffer financial losses.

They concluded by calling upon the MTA to honour its promises by registering and licensing the buses. Lawyers Michael Tanti Dougall and Aldo Vella signed the protest.