The government got more than it bargained for.
It started off with the idea of liberalising just a small sector of public transport – the hearses market – and it ended up with not only that, but also with a commitment from the drivers of buses, minivans and taxis to open up their sector too.
Probably, no-one in the government thought so much would have been achieved when the Cabinet decided to announce the liberalisation of the hearses market last week. This sparked off a ripple effect in that the other operators, thinking that it was the first step towards a more comprehensive effort to liberalise the whole public transport system, stood up for the hearses operators and joined them in a strike.
The irony of it all is that the hearses operators were the first to come to terms with the government on Wednesday night, accepting the liberalisation of their sector also thanks to a e230,000 payment to assist them, and pulled out of the Public Transport Federation, even calling off their part of the strike.
This left the other segments in a quandary. The reason that led to the strike had been taken away from them. They had made their position against liberalisation felt, and so they were left with two options – either remain on strike and keep up protesting against a liberalisation that their colleagues had already agreed with, or else accept the concept and start discussions with the government.
With the government having the support of the public and of constituted bodies, including the opposition, with the initial aggressiveness against liberalisation wearing off and with business (and money) being lost, the drivers had to succumb to the government’s proposals. They did so on Thursday.
The government had set off with the intention to liberalise just one small sector, but ended up going for the liberalisation of the other, bigger segments of the public transport system.
Politically, it was a major victory for the government, and in particular for the minister responsible, Austin Gatt. It stood firm right from the start and remained so even when the protests turned violent. It knew that the situation had come to a head and the point of no return had been passed.
The battle is, however, far from being over. While the liberalisation of the hearses market is something on which there is an agreement, the liberalisation of the other sectors is a far more complicated matter.
Dr Gatt said the government is committed to finalise the plans by the end of the year. What is sure is that the government must remain firm in its stand not only to liberalise the sector, but also to make sure that the public transport system in Malta is improved by leaps and bounds.
Too often have we had promises that things will get better, that drivers are being trained in the way they deal with their customers, that buses will leave on time, that taxi drivers will not overcharge tourists and that minivan drivers will not allow more passengers than they should on their vehicle. Too often have fares been increased to satisfy the operators’ demands and yet the buses remain dirty and emit too much fumes.
The government must seize the moment and go the whole way. What Dr Gatt said in one of his press conferences this week – that the people “are fed up” – was not only made in reference to the confusion that was taking place in the roads at the time because of the strike.
The people “are fed up” with the public transport system in the way that it is. The efforts that were made in the past did not lead to the desired effect. Now is the time to carry out a major overhaul of the system.
The public deserves it.