The government has paid out €26,766,663 in subsidy for public transport this year, Transport Minister Joe Mizzi told parliament this evening. 

Given that there were 330,000 voters in the last election, the Spanish company roughly received €81 from each voter in subsidy this year, €50 more than what Arriva pocketed in its last full year in operation, 2013.

Answering questions by Nationalist MP Tony Bezzina, Mr Mizzi said €97.2 million had been paid in subsidies between 2012 and last year. This was divided as follows:

2012: €8,224,500
2013: €10,214,000
2014: €29,027,312
2015: €22,999,992

Subsidies for public transport operators have nearly trebled since Spanish company Autobuses de Leon took over the service.