Eavbus Bankruptcy, Regional Minister Vetrella Emphasises Past Responsibilities

Regional Minister for Transport and Road Conditions of Campania Sergio Vetrella stated: “I urge responsibilities of such an incredible happening that led Eavbus to be judged bankrupt in absentia, namely while not present in the Court, are identified as soon as possible. A very serious issue, that could jeopardise the whole difficult job Regione was trying to perform to solve the crisis and to provide workers with a certain future and citizens with more road transport services”.

Mr. Vetrella added: “And yet, a solution had been found. Although it had been so long since we had transferred resources to Provincial Capitals and Municipalities that manage road transport, we had to intervene, upon my request, to advance ten million € allocated for 2013 to this year, in order to settle contribution payments of the group companies and to allow the payment of salaries for Eavbus workers”.

Regional Minister added: “Speaking about some centre-left representatives who demand my resignation, I will not be made a scapegoat for a completely ruined situation in the transport sector that they, with their senseless past managements, created and made increase without lifting a finger, but rather intensified wastes and influence peddling, to the expense of users, citizens, taxpayers, and honest workers from those companies. I won’t abide by these rules of the game, that is only a pitiful attempt to hide their own responsibilities and hit those who finally started a deep and demanding job to recover and delete past privileges, while transport services got worse and worse year after year”.

Regional Minister Vetrella emphasized: “It wasn’t me who made increase financial exposure of the Eav group up to an incredible abyss of approximately 500 million € for sure. It was not Sergio Vetrella who increased exaggeratedly wages and benefits of the executives of the three companies and of the holding business; who did not pay workers’ contributions envisaged by the law to INPS (National Social Security Institute); who created a consortium for unified fares that was collecting losses for 18 million € in piles year after year; who had useless ad expensive consultancy services by their friends of their friends, and for some managers, even by themselves. This is a shame they should tell they feel sorry for, not to me, rather to the citizens of Campania, obliged to pay the misuse of public money without relying on a train and bus system that is worthy of the second Italian region.

Mr. Vetrella concluded: “Instead of trying to cover misdeeds of their political representatives, these centre-left people who keep on attacking us should have supported the difficult and demanding job we have started over our first two years of administration, and that they always seem to forget about. Maybe somebody just did not accept that I immediately reported the existence of such a deep economic hole, held hidden by previous administrations, suggesting solutions, thanks to the precious cooperation of technicians who are part of the Regional Administration for Transport; and in spite of the difficult regional economic situation; we first succeeded in giving the Group 37 million, then, 25 million and half more, then 20 million more to give fresh air to companies and to start a plan of unscheduled maintenance for those trains stored in depots for lack of resources. And again, Mr. Vetrella met the creditor banks of the group to reach an agreement not to hinder transport services, suppliers and workers’ salaries. And, above all, he gave his contribution to obtain from the Government an ad hoc measure for a final recovery plan of Eav with an appropriation of 200 million €. This overall outcome was obtained together with President Caldoro and the Regional Executive Board, obviously, although, and I hope to repeat it for the last time, I am responsible for transport services only and not also for the financial statements and for the management of regional companies, such as Eav businesses.”