Outgoing Transport Malta CEO Kurt Farrugia has urged employees to protect the authority’s independence as he officially steps down after two years at the helm.In a farewell message to staff, Farrugia encouraged employees to take pride in their work and resist any outside influence.“Be proud of your work. Proud of the authority. Do not let anyone interfere in your professional work. Do not let anyone interfere in your regulatory and technical work,” he told staff.He added that safeguarding the authority’s professional and regulatory role had been one of his priorities during his tenure.In a separate post shared on Facebook, Farrugia reflected on his two years leading Transport Malta, highlighting initiatives including the launch of Malta in Motion, new ferry connections, improvements to traffic management systems, Malta’s election to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and growth in both the Maltese ship and aircraft registers.He also pointed to governance reforms within the authority, noting that Transport Malta received recognition from the National Audit Office for improvements in procurement, as well as a Best Practice in Good Governance award at the Public Service Awards.Farrugia has now been appointed CEO of Residenza Malta, succeeding the late Jonathan Cardona. His departure from Transport Malta follows reports of a disagreement with Sustainable Mobility Minister Chris Bonett, although Farrugia did not address those reports directly in his public statement.He will be replaced at Transport Malta by Leonid McKay, whom Farrugia described as “the perfect choice” to lead the authority forward.What do you make of Kurt Farrugia’s farewell message?•