Cruising and bruising

A number of articles have appeared in the press recently dealing with the current state of the various services that make up public transport. The issue of public transport is of crucial importance to the success or otherwise of the cruise/ferry business in Malta.

Since November 2001, the Valletta Cruise Passenger Terminal has been operated by a private company, who are also the developers of the Valetta Waterfront facilities along Pinto Wharf.

While pre-paid excursions for cruise passengers are organised by tour operators to various destinations, at present no coach service exists from the quays to Valletta for passengers who get off the cruise liners to 'explore' the neighbourhood without going on an organised tour.

When this private company took over operations at the terminal, some 20 months ago, it immediately asked the authorities to introduce a shuttle bus service between the terminal and Valletta.

The company has been repeatedly advised by the authorities to mark time, presumably because they envisage that some other service provider will object. It should be pointed out that at present the only means of transport provided to passengers not going on an organised excursion is the taxi service!

One must also point out that not even public transport is available for employees working in offices in this area or for the general public.

Rumour has it that every time the authorities tried to fix bus stop signs in the area to introduce the service, they were vandalised and taken down on the same day by person or persons unknown.

The same thing happens when directional signs are fixed to guide tourists, these are also purposely vandalised.

So at present if you do not have your own car and do not feel like walking up the hill, the only way to go from the quays to Valletta is either by taxi or by horse-driven cab!

To make matters worse, if you are unlucky enough to ride with one of a small number of delinquent taxi or cab drivers, and dare complain about the exorbitant fare, the chances are that you will be shouted at, insulted or even kicked out of the taxi or pulled down from the cab.

These drivers are well known to everybody but the police do not discipline them because they say that it is of no use, since as soon as they are brought before a magistrate they are let off scot free.

Incidentally, it should be said that taxis do not have meters, some taxi drivers do not even have a valid licence and the illegal use of private cars as taxis is widespread.

The operator has managed to build a very good relationship with the White Taxi Licensed Amalgamated, to which the majority of taxi drivers belong. With this organisation, the company has managed to put order and discipline into most of the taxi service.

There is even a taxi booth on the quays, run by the association, which displays the fares prominently (as per Legal Notice 203 of 2002 Malta Transport Authority Act).

The operator has also managed to reach an agreement with the Malta Tourism Authority to integrate a tourist information service with the taxi booth.

The Malta Tourism Authority is also supplying personnel who can speak the various languages required by the cruise passengers.

When asked about disciplining the small minority of drivers who are giving such a bad name to the entire population of taxi drivers, the association says that if the police cannot control these characters, how can the association be expected to do so?

Readers are invited to visit public roads around the quays on a day when the cruise liners or ferries are in the harbour. They will see cruise passengers being harassed or ripped off, they will hear them being shouted at and insulted.

Sometimes they may also be treated to the odd fight between drivers. I have also witnessed drivers urinating in the street in broad daylight... not to mention the horse excrement all over the place. All this is allowed to happen in our public roads, sometimes in full view of the police.

The cruise liner business is very fragile. There are over 90 other ports in the Mediterranean vying for the business. Do we want to wake up one day and find it all gone?