Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518765
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 APRIL 2024 NEWS Employee claims he was forced to allow dangerous buses in circulation CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Earlier, Opposition transport spokesperson Mark Anthony Sammut said the judicial protest was a matter of great concern. He said investigations into the allegations raised must be car- ried out urgently to ensure that people can use public transport without fear and with full confi- dence. Malta Public Transport denies allegations Malta Public Transport cate- gorically denied allegations of dangerous and not roadworthy buses in circulation. "The safety of our passengers, of our employees and of all road users, is our top priority, and we have never and will never com- promise on this fundamental aspect," the company said in a statement. "Our company has strict pro- cedures in place, that are based on our extensive international experience, to ensure the safety and security of our buses and everyone on board. The compa- ny would never allow buses that are not roadworthy to be put on the road." The company further claimed that Cutajar is currently facing disciplinary charges for gross misconduct in relation to breach of procedures. "Malta Public Transport will be initiating legal action against Mr Cutajar, since it is left with no choice but to defend its rep- utation against baseless allega- tions. We are confident that our records and evidence that will be presented in court, will prove that these allegations are false." The company said it wants to assure the public that its quality control procedures are robust, and that its buses undergo reg- ular inspections and servicing every 35 days to ensure that they meet the necessary safety re- quirements amongst others. Judicial protest claims buses with insufficient brakes allowed in circulation Claudio Cutajar, a Malta Public Transport workshop supervisor, accused his employer of ignor- ing his concerns and attempting to force him to allow dangerous and not roadworthy buses to continue in circulation. Some of the buses had brake pads so worn out that their ef- fectiveness was at less than 30%. The shocking allegation emerged in a judicial protest filed on Tuesday morning by Cutajar. Cutajar also filed photographs of damaged parts, repair logs and WhatsApp chats with his boss. "The internal situation regard- ing the lack of emergency main- tenance required on buses is so serious the protestant… will not allow his own son to take the bus," the judicial protest reads. After a change in directors at MPT, Cutajar claimed many me- chanics had resigned leading to increased workload on the small pool of remaining mechanics. The fewer employees were una- ble to keep up with the demand for repairs, especially within the short deadlines they were given. Since January, Cutajar alleged that on several occasions he had been forced to approve as roadworthy, in his capacity as supervisor, buses which were dangerous to their passengers and to third parties - for exam- ple vehicles whose brakes "were evidently not functioning as they should and at their maximum." "Because the protestant refused to disobey his conscience and lie about the state of roadworthi- ness of several buses in the past few months, he was threatened and is being threatened with dis- missal on made-up grounds, by management." One of the buses was leaking oil from its rear axle differen- tial, which wet the wheel's brake pads, causing them to slip and risk catching fire as the brakes heated up. The kingpin for one of another bus's front wheels was broken, which meant that there was a risk of the wheel becoming de- tached while the vehicle was in motion. On that occasion, Cutajar said that his workshop manager, Joe Grixti, had tried to reassure him that if something went wrong and someone got hurt, he would "only have 50% of the respon- sibility, because the other 50% would be the company's." The judicial protest states that Cutajar had replied by asking why he should be held respon- sible for something he did not want to do. As a result, he was issued with a written warning. In February 2024, he said, Grix- ti and MPT Engineering Manag- er Danilo Overend had ordered Cutajar and two other supervi- sors to stop working night shifts, effectively removing them from being in a position to obstruct the certification of not roadwor- thy buses. Accusing the public transport operator of being desperate to be rid of the plaintiff, Cutajar said he had ended up being "framed" by his employer, and had re- ceived two warnings in the space of a single week in March 2024. The judicial protest, signed by lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Kris Busietta, called upon the company to cease and desist from making up false stories about him as revenge for him not disobeying the law and his conscience, or face a court case for damages. Photos exhibited in court showing damaged parts and a WhatsApp chat Transport Minister Chris Bonett said the authority would be carrying out its own inspections on the specific buses indicated in the judicial protes