Michael Scicluna, St Paul’s Bay
Trying to catch a bus on car-free day
As I was taking my usual daily stroll around St Paul’s Bay, I witnessed a shocking experience at about 6.20 p.m.
Three Spanish tourists were waiting for bus No. 645 from Ċirkewwa to Sliema, on a bus stop at the main road. The bus just drove past without stopping, even though they waved it down. The driver seemed too busy on his mobile phone to notice them, or did not bother to stop; and the bus was not full up. Even I waved for him to stop.
I stopped at the police station to report the matter but as I had not managed to get the bus number it was not possible to lodge a report. The officer was helpful and offered to call the bus terminus and see what could be done.
Roll on bus reform and let’s see some customer care and satisfaction.
Advert
Popular Stories
In Discussion
Advert
14 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
Roger Eccles
Sep 24th 2010, 23:43
Customer Care in Malta they don't even know the meaning of the word, especially when we are treated in a very rudely manner in a shop or internet outlets. Instead of using a bit of inteligence and show some mannerism, all we get in a loud boring voice....YESSSSS. i says to them what about the > Yes Please may i be of any assitance Sir/Madam>they look at you as if we are some kind of an idiot or something, they don't seem to realise that the customer is king and if it weren't for our custom, the ignoramus so and so would be out of a job. - Period. They need to go back to basics or send abroad to see how the other half live in my books, maybe then we can do busness but until then, my last word is Sod them, 2 can play at that game on the islands, and its true what most of us ex-pat say, it takes foreigners like ourselves to educate some of these shop assistants, cause by Joe they need educating on how to deal with paying customers, instead bringing their domestic problems to the palce of work.-Bus drivers & All.
Anthony Borg
Sep 24th 2010, 14:27
Now hear this: Wednesday 22nd. at about 09:30, I was on a bus from Rabat to Valletta.
The young driver started chatting on his mobile phone near "Bonds" in Attard. As he proceeded towards Valletta Road, there was some roadworks, and seeing an Malta Transport official, he left the steering wheel and waved to him with his left hand whilst still holding visibly the mobile phone with his right!!! I am sure this MT official saw the driver speaking into his mobile by the look he gave him back.
In case some non-bus commuter comments on why I did not lodge a report ... well, everyone who uses buses daily knows the answer to that
Janet Bayes
Sep 24th 2010, 22:11
would the answer be one of the following?
1. Cant be bothered,
2. too lazy
3. cant be asked
4. think no action will be taken
5. dont want to go to court if the driver denies the charge
6. a combination of some or all of the above.
DVella
Sep 24th 2010, 13:56
@Charles Micallef . . . how about a driver with a mobile phone in one hand . . . a lit cigarette in the other and a steering wheel precariously manipulated with his elbow or with two spare fingers from the hand holding the cigarette. . . beggars belief doesn't it???
@Joseph M. Scicluna . . . are you for real . . . if you want an old bus then buy one and keep it in your backyard but let the Maltese public have decent, clean, efficient and low-pollution vehicles as they deserve instead of those old decrepit pieces of junk, the vast majority of which blatantly emit such disgusting black fumes that they probably cause up to 30% of Malta's airborne pollution all on their own!!!!
Joseph M. Scicluna
Sep 24th 2010, 13:10
DON'T SCRAP THE OLD BUSES - SCRAP THE IRRESPONSIBLE, AGGRESSIVE, UNETHICAL, DRIVERS. Why don't these stupid drivers act like some of their counterparts who behave really well. I came across some bus drivers who even went out of their way to accomodate commuters. On one occasion a young driver went so far as to alight from his drivers' seat to help a lady get down her baby's pusch-chair. Although leaving the bus while plying on the route is a contravention this driver opted otherwise.
D. Scerri
Sep 24th 2010, 12:00
I question how effective the reform will really be.
The drivers are to have "fluent Maltese and basic English". Considering that we receive 1m tourists per year and probably only a quarter (at most) of the population regularly use public transport, it would be better to ensure the both Maltese *and* English are spoken fluently. English is after all the de facto international language, plus it is an official language of our country!
TRW O'Neill
Sep 24th 2010, 11:56
The bus no 645 arriving at St Pauls Bay at 620 p,m. Must have left Cirkewwa about 30 mins before arrival at SPB so it would be easy to discover who was driving it , but as nobody even the " helpful " Policeman was really interested , nobody will follow up the report, even though driving using a mobile is illegal do not expect any Policemen to bother.about such actions, tho' I do recall reading about a Police woman who booked a driver for using a mobile on a bus she was on. She was as rare as snow in a heat wave,in Malta. QED..
l fenech
Sep 24th 2010, 11:44
It-turisti ser jibdew jghamlulna l-isbah rekalm meta imorru lura pajjizhom.
Charles Micallef
Sep 24th 2010, 10:33
The question of the poor standard of service, now from a large majority of the bus drivers is constantly in news and the drivers’ consistent use of mobile phones is there for anyone to see. These days one hardly notices a bus driving by, without the driver having one hand holding their mobile phone and the other steering the bus which begs the question, Is there anyone out there who is ultimately responsible for the Bus Drivers behaviour??? Are the same people who are trying to pass the buck to 'arriva' thinking that they will solve a problem that has been in exsistant for many years that one cares to remember! They are so wrong!
K.Anastasi
Sep 24th 2010, 11:36
Yeah the wardens are nowhere to be seen, they much prefer to give me a ticket for an unwashed car (which in fact was quite clean, number plates could be seen clearly) than pursue dangerous bus drivers... no one cares!
M Mifsud
Sep 24th 2010, 09:19
The list of complaints is endless. It's a shame that some drivers are giving a bad name to the service and a bad reputation to drivers in general. We all know that there are many well mannered drivers who carry out their duties as best as they can.
i.borg
Sep 24th 2010, 10:42
yeah,,,the minority. Thank god I have my car!
J Borg
Sep 24th 2010, 12:10
Allow me to differ Mr Mifsud. From all the comments in the past months about this subject, it would 'seem' that the opposite is the reality here. The many bad drivers are giving the few good ones a bd reputation. I know there are really polite, gentlemanly drivers among them, but (I hope that I am mistake) they are far between. Whenever I happen to be on a bus driven by one of these gentleman, I pinch myself, thinking that I am dreaming.
About this case. There was probably ONE No. 645 bus anywhere near that bust stop at the time. So if time and place were taken note of, even days later the driver should be identified!
janet Bayes
Sep 24th 2010, 13:16
Please know that a fine of 23.49 for the use of the phone at the wheel is not really worth all the time taken by the police, the courts, the postman, the typist, etc etc etc etc. THAT is why no-one is interested enough to take the matter further.