That there was a need to reform the public transport service is something that has been known for years. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi was certainly referring to this move when he said that his government is tackling issues that have been with us for 30, 40 years or more.

If anything, the governments of the past should be blamed for letting the situation deteriorate to such an extent without as much as lifting a finger. Although there were several efforts to “reform” the sector, the changes that came about were less than cosmetic and, while the price of fares continued to rise, the level of the service continued to plummet.

Dr Gonzi did the right thing in passing on the assignment to Austin Gatt. If there is a minister who is capable of taking the bull by the proverbial horns to reorganise the public transport system from scratch, then Dr Gatt is the man. And the way the reform has been planned proves that finally, we are on the right track.

Naturally, there is still a long way to go, and before more praise is heaped on Dr Gatt, we need to see the reform implemented before passing judgment. After all, the proof of the pudding is in the eating.

Yet, just by looking at the plans and the details that all those responsible for their drawing up went into makes one believe that, finally, we will get there.

The improvement of the public transport sector is a priority for several reasons. The first that comes to mind is that many tourists make use of it, and although some of them enjoy going on our rickety buses just for the experience, the rest shudder at the thought of being cooped up in a 50-year-old bus that is not even fit to be in a museum. Therefore, if we expect tourists to be happier during their short stay in Malta, and give them a value-for-money service as they travel from one place to another, then a more efficient public transport service is needed.

Secondly, it is a fact that there are many people in Malta who would certainly prefer making use of public transport, and yet do not do so because it is not efficient, not reliable and not comfortable. And so many opt to use their personal car to go from point A to point B, knowing that their frustration in traffic jams and parking problems are less of an irritation than having to use a bus that will take long minutes to arrive and even longer to take them to their destination.

It is not a surprise to hear that only 12 per cent of the Maltese make use of public transport when the European average is 50 per cent. The reasons for this are obvious.

Thirdly, a reform in the public transport sector would mean fewer cars on the road and therefore less pollution and cleaner air to breathe. The fact that the government has made it clear that a good part of the new fleet must be environment-friendly shows its commitment towards having a better standard of living.

Fourthly, the reform will mean that frequent users will be paying more or less the same amount they are paying at present – but the service will be better. It is only those who use the service once in a while who will be paying more than the current rates.

Maltese travellers know that what is being proposed for Malta has been in place in other countries for many years. So, as minister Gatt said, we are not re-inventing the wheel.

However, what the government is proposing goes a long way to have a public transport service that could make us proud.

The Maltese public deserves it.