Two bendy-bus incidents do not seem to be related – Arriva

Updated: Arriva Malta has said that first indications show that the two recent incidents involving bendy-buses, do not seem to be related.

The bus company was referring to two incidents that took place over the weekend, when a bendy-bus burst into flames as it was being driven in Marsa, followed by a second similar case in Mellieha on Sunday evening, in which a bendy bus was extensively damaged by fire.

Arriva in its statement said that it “would like to reassure the public that its buses are safe and that passenger safety remains a top priority for the company. While visually the situations were certainly striking, the well-being and safety of our passengers and employees were never put at risk.”

“All Arriva’s buses undergo regular thorough checks and are also regulated by the local authority. Indeed, both vehicles involved in this weekend’s incidents, had regularly passed their annual VRT tests, with the most recent one in June,” said a spokesperson for Arriva.

Meanwhile, Arriva said that it is carrying out an extraordinary fleet check on buses as an extra precaution to leave no stone unturned in ensuring vehicles are safe for passengers and drivers, and has been into consultation with Transport Malta regarding the incidents.

“Arriva Malta is taking these incidents very seriously and is in full collaboration with the the Police who have launched a magisterial inquiry. At the time of writing investigators have not ruled out arson,” the statement concluded.

Update from the The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Joe Mizzi: Who said in a statement that he had tasked the regulator, Transport Malta, to appoint a commission of technical experts to investigate what happened in the Arriva bendy-bus fires, in particular if the incidents are related.

Transport Malta will prepare an independent report on the findings of the investigation. This investigation provide the results within one week from the start.

The Minister for Transport and Infrastructure to Arriva made it clear that he would “take any decision deemed necessary, however harsh they were,”

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure this morning called an urgent meeting between Transport Malta and senior officials of the company.

During which The Minister expressed his “deep concern about the incidents that occurred and demanded immediate action to be taken on the part of the company.”