It's a long way by bus (1)

On Wednesday, April 9, I had to report for work at Mġarr primary school at 8.30 a.m. So on the eve, I checked with the Bus Despatchers' Office in Valletta, and was told that a No. 46 bus leaves Valletta every half hour, e.g. 7 a.m., 7.30 a.m . As during summer 2006 I had gone to Mġarr on a 47 bus, I checked with the official ATP timetable 2008.

On the morning, I left home (Sliema) at 6.50 a.m., was on the Savoy bus stop at 6.55 a.m and took the 7 a.m. bus to Valletta. At 7.07 a.m. I alighted at Msida where many buses were on the opposite bus stop. However, as I had to wait some time to be able to cross at the traffic lights, I thought I had missed the bus.

So I waited for the 7.30 a.m. bus from Valletta, which hopefully would have got me to work on time.

Later, when many 7.30 buses left Valletta, there was a long line of buses at Msida, so much so that I almost walked up to the BoV branch there. When a bus with passengers passed on the outside lane, without giving anyone time to see its number, again I thought that I had missed it.

Meanwhile, I enquired with two bus inspectors who were on the Marina Home bus stop. The first told me that a No. 52 bus leaves Valletta at 7.30 a.m., the second one kindly phoned up and told me that buses 47 and 52 would soon arrive.

Again no 8 a.m. bus arrived. Finally I boarded a 52 bus at 8.25 a.m.! The driver politely told me that buses leave at 6.45 a.m. and 8.15 a.m. from Valletta. He explained that it was the 47 bus which leaves every half hour and that, after 9 a.m. I was also informed that the 46 bus leaves Mġarr for Mosta (Tarġa Gap), and not Valletta.

At the last Valley Road bus stop, the first bus inspector came up, enquiring why there was no 8 a.m. bus. A lady, boarding from Naxxar Road, asked why we were waiting so long. At 9 a.m. two other bus inspectors boarded the bus from St Paul's Bay and also found the time strange. At 9.10 a.m., a lady boarding from the bus stop after the Limbordini sign, also thought out loudly that "it was a bit too late". Finally, the driver kindly dropped me off at Mġarr primary school where I arrived for my meeting at 9.25 a.m. - 55 minutes late and two hours 35 minutes after I left home. I could have almost made it to London!