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maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 3 SEPTEMBER 2014 News RACHEL AGIUS PASSENGERS aboard a bus were treated to a daring display of expert driving when the steering wheel of the bus in question started to come loose and, by the end, came away al- together. The best part? The driver lifts the offending equipment up as a fellow driver passes by and says 'Ghidtlek!' ('I told you!') implying that the situ- ation wasn't as much of a surprise for him as it was for the passengers. Sadly, efforts to re-attach the steering wheel proved futile. The video then stops, leaving us to as- sume that the bus continued on its way purely on the strength of that man's nonchalance. The Malta Public Transport has since confirmed that both the bus and its driver have been "suspended from service while Malta Public Transport investigates the case". Transport Malta is also inspecting the bus for safety. "The bus company has expressed deep concern and surprise at this incident, condemning the wit- nessed behaviour as irresponsible and putting passengers at risk," a spokesman for Malta Public Trans- port said. The driver is employed by one of the subcontractors. Meanwhile, a second driver was suspended by Malta Public Trans- port after media reports brought to light a case of unsavoury behaviour from one of its subcontracted em- ployees. The Malta Independent reported yesterday that a woman was met with verbal abuse from the driver as she helped an elderly passenger on an X3 route bus. In a press statement, Malta Public Transport announced that it had immediately initiated an internal investigation which has led to a driver employed by one of its sub- contractors being suspended. The bus operator categorically admonished any such behaviour which it said is "unacceptable under any circumstance", more so towards its customers, and is examining the incident thoroughly," the statement read. "Malta Public Transport is cur- rently in discussions with the sub- contractor representatives to imple- ment stronger and more effective controls with sub-contracted serv- ices to mitigate the risk of such in- stances reoccurring." A representative of Malta Public Transport has since contacted and spoken to the customer involved and apologised for such regretta- ble behaviour and for the delay in with which this complaint was ad- dressed. Watch the free-wheeling driver video on tinyurl.com/kgyuygm 24 Free-wheeling bus and driver 'suspended from service' MATTHEW AGIUS ENVIRONMENT minister Leo Brincat yesterday said he could not commit himself on the number of police officers who will be on patrol during the autumn hunting season, which opened this week. When asked about the ratio of hunters to Administrative Law En- forcement (ALE) officers, which was last year calculated to be in the region of 10,600 to 50, and whether he would be increasing the numbers of officers this season, Brincat ex- plained that he could not confirm the numbers and that while he as- sumed ministerial responsibility, hunting was being dealt with by his "hands-on Parliamentary Secre- tary" Roderick Galdes. Brincat's explanation that "it is not a question of beefing up the num- bers, but a question of having all the necessary data" indicates a dif- ferent approach, as one year ago the government had announced that the ALE was being augmented with additional staff to ensure greater surveillance and monitoring of the countryside "to eradicate and pre- vent potential infringements." Moreover, in a feeble endorse- ment of government policy, Brincat told MaltaToday "the Parliamentary Secretary is tackling these issues within the context of government policy, which I respect and which I am ensuring is implemented". He added that ensuring strict ad- herence and compliance to the law is in the best interest, "not only of the government, but also of the hunters and trappers themselves." Brincat was replying to questions put to him by this newspaper at a news conference in Buskett, yester- day morning. Surprisingly, Brincat said he was not aware of the killing of two pro- tected Little Egrets over Gozo on Saturday, saying "this is news to me." "As has been proven in the past, enforcement has never been strong- er than today. At the same time if any irregularities are taking place it is in our own interest to ensure there is strict adherence and com- pliance with the law," he added. Expressing his confidence that the necessary action will be taken by "the people on the ground", Brincat reassured that "they were vigilant in the past and have all the more rea- son to be vigilant in the future". Brincat was not in a position to answer other questions regarding the controversial Armier substa- tion proposal, as he did not have the data at hand – "you should be asking that of the ministries confirmed, the OPM, my colleague Dr Michael Falzon who is responsible for MEPA and Lands. Obviously, it is a gov- ernment decision, not a question of passing the buck. I ask you to con- tact him as he has all the necessary data. This is a government decision and like any other minister, there is collective responsibility". On Sunday, MaltaToday revealed that Enemalta is considering plans to construct an electricity substa- tion at Armier to supply customers in the area, including the hundreds of squatters who inhabit the illegal shantytown on illegally appropri- ated public land. Japanese synchronized swimming coach Saho Harada entertains the crowds with her aquatic performance at the National Pool yesterday. PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD Leo Brincat said hunting enforcement has never been stronger Environment minister non-committal on hunting enforcement

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