The Managing Director of Metro Mass Transit Limited, Cezario Kale, has disclosed that the state-owned transport company was on the brink of collapse when the current management assumed office, citing poor worker welfare, weak revenue systems and shortages of spare parts.

Speaking in an interview with JoyNews on Wednesday, January 21, Mr Kale said the company was “panting for breath” due to years of operational and financial challenges but has since begun to stabilise.

“I think Metro Mass now can breathe some oxygen. Hitherto, before we actually took over, Metro Mass was in a sorry state, panting for breath, because so many things were not adding up. But since we took office, we’ve been able to put pragmatic measures in place, and now at least Metro Mass can have a sigh of relief,” he said.

Explaining what he meant by the “sorry state” of the company, the Managing Director said management inherited a system plagued by inefficiencies that prevented the company from performing effectively.

“At the time we came, we realised that there were so many things that were going on that were not actually making Metro Mass succeed,” he stated.

Mr Kale identified poor worker welfare as the company's first major challenge, noting that employees who generated revenue for the firm were poorly motivated.

He further disclosed that revenue mobilisation was severely weakened by financial leakages and an ineffective ticketing system.

According to him, although an electronic ticketing system had been introduced by previous management, it covered only about 40 to 50 per cent of operations, limiting the company’s ability to maximise revenue.

“We realised that we could only increase revenue if we went 100 per cent, so we came in to fill the gap. As I speak, our revenue mobilisation through electronic means is about 95 per cent. We are still battling to get it to 100 per cent,” he added.

Another critical problem, he said, was the lack of spare parts, which had left several buses grounded for weeks.

“You cannot work in this industry without enough spare parts. When we came, we realised that some buses were parked for weeks because of the absence of tyres and brake pads,” he noted.

According to the Managing Director, management has since secured spare parts sufficient to last the company for about a year, restoring more buses to active service.

Mr Kale also disclosed that statutory obligations to workers, including pension contributions deducted from salaries, had not been paid by previous administrations.

“We realised that workers’ social security contributions were being deducted but not paid. That is a serious statutory obligation,” he said.

He assured that management is working to regularise all outstanding obligations and strengthen internal systems to ensure transparency and sustainability.

Mr Kale said the reforms being implemented are aimed at restoring confidence in Metro Mass and positioning the company for long-term growth.

“Step by step, we are rebuilding the company. At least now, Metro Mass can breathe again,” he added.