Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am informed by the NLTA that the village of Melville, Grand Gaube is served by six buses owned by individual bus operators. These buses, which ply along route 178 Melville, Madame Azor via Goodlands, are registered with the Bus Owner’s Corporative Society North. I am further informed that repeated complaints regarding the unsatisfactory level of service resulting from non- observance of established time table were received at the level of the NLTA. Furthermore, with the extension of Route 178 to Bois d'Oiseaux, Poudre d'Or since 13 July 2024, the service has faced significant delays resulting in increased inconvenience to

53 residents of Melville and Madame Azor. As I apprised to the House on 17 December 2024, a day on which the hon. Member had first questioned me on the same locality, with a view to mitigating the low level of public bus transport service along Route 178, while addressing the complaints received thereto, two temporary RSLs were granted to operators thereat. These buses start plying since February 2023 and December 2024. While this remedial measure initially led to some improvements and fewer complaints, I am made to understand that the service reliability has once again declined. The main reason being due to aging fleet. According to the NLTA, several buses, particularly those over 14 years of age, are prone to frequent breakdowns, resulting therefore in poor level of service. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to enlighten the House that out of six buses plying along Route 178, two are above 14 years, that is,15 and 17 while the other one has reached 12 years, implying that 50% of the current operational fleet thereat is prone to frequent breakdowns. Furthermore, in light of recent checks undertaken by the NLTA inspectorate, it has been observed that only five buses are in active operation along Route 178 as one bus is off-road since September 2024 and has still not been replaced. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, in light of this situation, the NLTA has had several meetings with the operators of the corporative society to discuss about the various complaints regarding non-compliance with the established timetable. The operators were cautioned by the regulator, that is, the NLTA and they were warned that failure to maintain service levels may result in disciplinary measures. The operator whose bus is not operating since September 2024 has reassured the NLTA that arrangements are ongoing for the replacement of this bus in the next three months. Furthermore, the other operators were encouraged to consider the timely renewal of their buses while availing support from the Bus Modernisation Scheme, which is being voted in this budget. Concurrently, enforcement has been stepped up, and fixed penalty notices are being issued to drivers for timetable breaches. Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish however to highlight to the House that the NLTA reported that redeployment of buses from other routes to Route 178, which were being contemplated, remains challenging, and is, in fact, not advisable since the route thereat cannot accommodate larger buses because the roads are small. The specificity of the road is suitable for only 30-to-40-seater buses.

54 Consequently, the NLTA is exploring the possibility of licensing one additional bus on Route 178 with the aim of reinforcing operation, improving frequency and easing the difficulties faced by residents and students at Melville and Grand Gaube. As a last note, I will follow with the NLTA to ensure that a sustainable solution at the earliest be found. I am confident that with the introduction of a fleet management system, things will improve going forward.

Supplementary!

Can the hon. Minister inform the House if surprise visits at regular intervals by officers of the NLTA can be carried out to ensure that they adhere to the scheduled time for the buses?

Since about two weeks now, there is a new management at the NLTA. I had meetings with them with a view to taking onboard the propositions made by the hon. Member.

The hon. Second Member for Vieux Grand Port and Rose Belle! BASIC RETIREMENT PENSION – FUNDS BUDGETED (2014-2024)