Arriva should bow its head to public opinion, on whose support its success depends, and make the necessary arrangement sso that buses do not drive through Bisazza Street in Sliema, the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises, GRTU said.

The GRTU said that many people had been involved in this pedestrianisation project of Bisazza Street and many, including GRTU, had to suffer unfair criticism for supporting the project, since the concept of pedestrianised zones in commercial centres was still not widely understood and accepted.

"Almost a million euros of public funds have been spent and the private sector is investing heavily to upgrade the services in the area and the project has now the support of the Sliema community and the public in general.

"It is inconceivable that a just declared pedestrianised zone be immediately made to suffer, even temporarily, any motor traffic, worst of all a steady flow of buses."

GRTU said the technical issue Arriva mentioned as the reason for causing them to dare public opinion and proceed with their original plan was not insurmountable.

The government had already promised additional public moneys to help the bus monopoly cover the costs and it was the responsibility of Arriva now to resolve the problem before the launch of the new service.

"It is their problem and they should not dump it on the public."

GRTU said that the logistics of the effect of closing Bisazza Street was also not insurmountable as an alternative route existed and any technical arrangements could still be managed in the few weeks that remained.

Arriva had to prove it was capable of resolving such a hiccup. The closure of streets for periods of time would reoccur and if a part of the network needed rerouting, that should not mean that the whole system would dysfunction.

GRTU expected a better and more professional public relations attitude from Arriva. It also believes this was an issue for government.

"The pedestrianisation of Bisazza Street has been on the cards for months. How is it possible that one part of government responsible for transport management and the other part of government responsible for public projects had such a poor relationship not to have smoothened out the matter without disturbing the public?"

Buses, it insisted should not be allowed to pass through this pedestrianised zone, even temporarily. It said it would support all action that ensured that what the majority accepted as an irreversible fact would not be thwarted by the arrogance and pretentions of Arriva.

"GRTU has publicly wished Arriva all the success it deserves as GRTU has from the initial stages supported the privatisation and complete overhaul of the new public bussing service as it is vital for commerce and for better traffic and environmental management.

"On this issue, however, GRTU believes Arriva is erring and erring very badly and it should therefore without much ado bow its head to the opinion of the vast majority of the public on whose support Arriva's success further depends."

It hoped the issue would be resolved in the next few days.