Julian Borg, Gżira
Urgent need to tackle bus disservice
In his letter Improving The Quality Of Our Tourist Product (July 4), the MTA's Kevin Drake insists that commercial establishments should refrain from putting advertisements on catering furniture, canopies, umbrellas etc.
Now that the summer season is already under way, operators have been told to remove them.
I wish that similar enforcement was dished out to bus owners for them to upgrade their buses and remove ugly advertisements on the sides of the old bone shakers.
Letters from locals and visitors appear in the media every day about the horrible state of our buses yet, year after year, this spectre remains.
The MTA ought to forget about the canopies and umbrellas.
Get together with members of the ADT and see to the core of Malta's dwindling image product, the great bus disservice.
Only then, perhaps, can they tell catering operators what they have to do to improve Malta's tourist image.
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John A. Azzopardi
Jul 10th 2009, 00:07
My own bus ride experience: I am a 63 year old senior citizen and I thought it was about time that I gave the bus "service" a try. The other day I was at Sliema seafront and asked a dispatcher which bus took me to Naxxar. I was told No. 65 goes direct - hurray! I could relax, read my book, look around - avoid all the hassle and stress of driving my own car in this heat. I went on board and presented my 'kartanzjan' - " 23 cents" said the driver. 'Hey, but where to? he said again within 2 seconds. "Naxxar" I replied - "Heq - in that case the kartanzjan 'no good' ! "why" I humbly asked. "Heq - it only takes you to San Gwann - regulations". "So Sliema to San Gwann I am 63 years, and then San Gwann to Naxxar do I become younger?" " Ejja - to Naxxar is Eur 1.16, I do not make the laws". Needless to say I could not read my book as I was being tossed to and fro for the next 25 minutes - Mr. Minister why don't u give it a try - incognito.
Peter Lawton
Jul 9th 2009, 18:52
As a frequent visitor to malta I have heard and read all the touristy comments about bad service, dirty streets, rip offs etc. Well in my opinion 90% of this is untrue, but the 10% that is true is about your abominal bus service and the attitude of the drivers. I prefer to hire a car at a greater expense than to give a few cents to these people. But to the rest of civilised Malta thank you I love you all.
A. Portelli
Jul 9th 2009, 15:42
Having to walk up to the driver on a bus with no operative bell, or a single bell at the exit, is becoming more and more common. Of course one might be unfortunate to hit the same bus more than once. I have also seen a bus without wipers.
And why do we have to wait in the sun while the driver issues tickets and hands over the 'change'. Why can't we develop a system where the passenger presents prepaid tickets to the driver and then move on?
Liam Kelly
Jul 9th 2009, 12:46
If you think that the degredation of the tourism product is down to the adverts on the sides of buses then i'm afraid you've lead a very sheltered life!
1. Busses not turning up: - cause: No dispatchers/ no impartial dispatchers at ALL terminai Solution: Gov/MTA hired dispatchers at all terminai.
2. Rudeness of drivers: Cause: Drivers know that they are untouchable: Solution: Mystery passengers either from the MTA or gov on busses and fine drivers who are either rude/swearing/not punctual.
3. Dangerous driving:- Cause: busses not roadworthy/talking on mobiles/generally breaking highway code: Solution: Set up a call centre to report incidents and place an advert on each bus with the number to dial.
My brother is a bus driver in Scotland; he has 6 security cameras placed on his bus, has to make announcements to passangers over the PA system telling them where the bus is, has to report any incident which happens on/around his bus while driving, has to put up with drunk, aggressive passengers while remaining vidulent for ticket touts and he's tracked by GPS to ensure he's on route and on time. That is how to run a proper bus service.
Emma Cordina
Jul 9th 2009, 11:21
Quite right Mr Borg. Bus drivers, at least some of them, should attend courses as regards how to deal with passengers, clothes, language,etc, etc.... Only yesterday My husband and I took a group of eight Italian friends to Mdina by bus. They could not fit into our car so there was no option but to ride a bus.On the way from Mosta to Valletta The driver had the radio full on. On the way back we were kept waiting at Saqajja from 8.20pm to 9.00pm to get on to a bus. Three buses stopped but each driver told us that he was not taking on any passengers as he was on the way to the garage. One of them dropped some passengers, coming from Dingli, there. Finally a bus arrived . He got down from the bus in a hurried way and the doors shut almost sandwitching a hand of an elderly who tried to get into the bus.Some time later this same driver arrived with a"hobza biz-zejt" which he began eating when he started to drive.He then switched on the radio and we were compelled to hear the music on the radio all the way to Valletta.
jcmicallef
Jul 9th 2009, 10:34
The national transport disservice has very little to do with the buses themselves, but rather with the infrastructure, operation and some staff.
The 'old bone shakers' should be well maintained instead and these will prove an attraction to foreigners themselves. Of course, in order for them not to shake our bones too much, the roads need to be up to standard....
As for the adverts on the older buses, yes, they are not attractive I must agree, while I do find the MTA's instructions rather without sense in my humble opinion. Have always noticed many adverts on tables in cafe's and bars abroad.