Former bus drivers accused of sabotaging Arriva service

joseph spiteri

Nov 18th 2012, 10:14

What about the money paid to the supposed EXPERTS?
Is the money going to be refunded?
If not who is going to pay back?
Will a PL. Gov. follow this family tie if in power?
Trust that our money will be refunded and people
responsabile will answer for their dues.

Mr Christopher Grech

Jul 21st 2011, 12:17

The bus routes decisions were perhaps even worse than the loss of drivers! This decision was SOLELY the responsibility of Transport Malta who paid a bit less than euros 400,000 for previous routes into impractical routes.

Ministers and their helpers could not put their shoes into like other passengers, as they drive cars!
Furthermore the foreign consultants brought over a route system that is completely foreign to common sense!

Transport Malta, do your homework well please, and if you made a mistake, at least admit it to the people. Remember God knows all.

Rosie zammit

Jul 17th 2011, 19:34

i suggest the drivers who sabotage Arriva should be held responsible and made to pay for the damages done.

Mr Peter Korsten

Jul 12th 2011, 01:55

Now, if Mr Delia would actually name some drivers, he would have a nice little libel suit filed against him.

Anyway, this is the rumour (that it's sabotage) that's making the rounds. Whether it's true or not is irrelevant: it's what people will eventually believe.

Probably, in one or two months' time we have a better view of how the new service is operating. I'll reserve my judgement until then, although my comment of several months ago (that it was a VERY ambitious plan, what with all the electronics and GPS and gizmos) was not entirely baseless.

Gustav Svensson

Jul 11th 2011, 23:26

I'm sure this will inspire for future foreign investment.. Well don't think so.. Real estate bubble, banks will have to down size.. gaming companies leaving..Air Malta..tough days to come.

James Camilleri

Jul 11th 2011, 22:29

Dear Mr Delia

If you have been browsing through the many online articles my name like that of some others would have stood out by the many comments I have made regarding the old and new transport system. I have never ever written anything before in such a public medium. However since I use the public transport on a daily basis (I make between 2 to 8 bus trips everyday) and since the old bus service used to serve me well as opposed to the new one I had to make my comments. My patience has never been tested in this manner. Patience or rather impatience led to frustration and finally deep anger at how the new system was operating and how it was introduced. I would like to let my anger get the better of me so that you may realize the depth of my frustration. However I believe making impassive comments would get the message through in a better way.
1. I was excited at the introduction of the new system and was looking forward to start using the new Arriva buses. Mind you I was not particularly dissatisfied with the service offered by the old system. In fact even family and friends from abroad used to praise the service offered as we had a very good network, with frequent trips. This does not mean that some buses were up to standard. It does not mean that I never met the odd rude, arrogant driver. It does not mean that the buses were always punctual. However if I weight all the odds, on the whole the service was good. This does not mean that there was no room for improvement. I believe that most of the negative comments made against the old system were made by people who either have never used the public transport or else used it sporadically. Or else by people who are against the old bus drivers because there are some people who are against a particular class or profession either through snobbery, or through a preconceived idea, or because one had a bad experience with one particular person and this influenced his/her idea of all people in this line of work, or maybe through ignorance.
2. When I first heard of Arriva, I spoke to known people living abroad mainly in the UK. Most of the comments about Arriva were negative –citing bad service, unpunctuality, shutting down of particular routes without the public being advised, rude drivers etc. I looked up Arriva in the internet and I also found out a good number of negative reviews also giving the above mentioned comments re their service. People also complained that they were refused to board buses because they did not have the exact change. Others commented that they waited for buses which never came, leaving them completely stranded. Therefore if I could find such information about this operator, I am sure that you had more tools at your disposition to make even more in depth research about his company. This was my first inkling that the new service might not be such an improvement on the old one.
3. When we started receiving information about the new bus routes my misgivings grew. So many routes had been removed and others introduced. I also made note of the new interchanges and realised that most of these did not make real sense. It seemed senseless to me that people living in Qormi (San Gorg) would need to wait for a circular bus to take either to the nearest bus stop or the Marsa P/R to catch a bus to Valletta when before they had a direct route. It also seemed senseless for people living in B’Kara to take the new 125 bus to go to Mile End to catch a bus for Valletta. Of course they could walk it up to Mriehel Road to catch a Rabat bus or down to Mannarino Road to catch one coming from the direction of Mosta. However this is not quite so easy for all seeing the size of B’Kara and the distances are quite lengthy especially for people with young children or for the elderly.
4. I soon realized why this was going to happen. Whilst the old bus fleet consisted of almost 600 buses, the new Arriva one was a little more than 200. Therefore the company had to economise on routes and for this reason many routes were amalgamated. Now it is common sense that if before people used to grumble when buses arrived full, this scenario was going to be even more evident because the buses were going to serve so many other localities, making buses even more fuller. I already experienced this trying to get a bus from Mriehel.
5. It was also already evident that due to this amalgamation of routes bus trips would take longer in spite of the advertising to the contrary.
6. Now as an excuse the old bus drivers are being held responsible for the many defects which were shown up during this past week. I am not saying that their action had no impact on the new operation. However blaming everything on them is a conspiracy theory:
i. TM and Arriva did not tally with the number of no show drivers.
ii. The numbers kept increasing day by day.
iii. If only 100 drivers were employed from the old regime and there were 180 drivers who did not show up or decided not to continue working after a few days, there must have been something else besides sabotage which was making people resign from their work.
iv. Arriva today distanced itself from comments made by TM that the drivers’ action was sabotage.
v. Sabotage is a criminal offence and therefore if bus drivers’ were really sabotaging the new operation they would have been booked as happened before with the Enemalta workers.
vi. The drivers could not be sabotaging the electronic system.
vii. The bus drivers could not be held responsible for the added length in the new routes.
viii. The bus drivers could not be held responsible for the traffic jams (some buses are too big and this problem could have been envisaged by TM).
ix. Bus drivers could not be held responsible for technical faults in buses which according to Mr Delia were not true, but according to commuters they were (I happened to be on a bus when fumes started coming out of the engine).
x. “Arriva began to express grave concern in the last two weeks of the preparation period that former ATP drivers who had committed to work on the new service were quitting in their dozens.” – if this was so it was highly irresponsible of both Arriva and TM to go ahead with the changeover when they new that trouble was looming. What did they expect? A miracle maybe.
7. A missed bus trip, long waiting times in the sun and confusion about what the route numbers really mean, were a fact of daily life in the old set-up and naturally never made the news.” These facts which you mentioned Mr Delia did not make news because they rarely happened. The longest waiting time before was a 30 minute wait and the reason behind it lay in the fact that one most probably had missed the previous bus trip and had to wait for the next one. For people who knew the buses the numbers were known and if one didn’t know what the bus number meant all he needed to do was ask. And coming to that don’t you think the new system will also have these problems? One has to get used to the new numbers. One had to get used to the new connections. One has got to get used to the new routes and times. If one misses a connection now one would also have to wait for quite some time before another bus would come along.
8. I am not one to complain without doing anything about things. In fact before the new bus system came into force I contacted TM for information and to pass some comments. TM answered me promptly. However it did not answer any of my queries and passed me on to the Arriva website. I duly did this but this time I did not even receive an acknowledgement, let alone an answer. So much for customer care! So much for Arriva’s orientation towards the commuter.
I will end with some suggestions, which I am sure you will not take up because I know that people in high places are pigheaded and do not like taking advice from the man in the street.
a. Tell Arriva to revert back to the old routes, doing away with so many unnecessary interchanges and senseless connections. We want the direct routes from our towns and villages to Valletta. We can use the old connections – Blata l-Bajda; Bombi; Marsa; Msida etc.
b. Tell Arriva to increase its fleet. As it is, it is too small to offer a better service from the old one. We just do not want new, cleaner buses with A/Cs. We wanted a bigger fleet to meet our demands. If it doesn’t (and I am sure that it doesn’t – the company wants to maximize its operation with the minimal costs to maximize its profit – check the internet for comments) we will have more problems than we had before with the old operator. It is operating a very tight operation which will generate more and more problems.

I travel to and from different towns and villages everyday. In one day I might need to travel from B’Kara to Qormi and then to Sliema. Before such trips did not take me longer than say half an hour to ¾ of an hour (each trip). As the system stands it will take me hours. This new network has convinced me that whoever designed it had never actually used the bus network before, he/she did not know the travel patterns of people and had only one idea in mind. Arriva was offering a much reduced fleet and this person tried to accommodate the new operator rather than being of service to the commuter. If Arriva did not want to comply it should have been sent packing.
This person/persons needs to be held accountable for the mess which has been made. However only the drivers have been made accountable for a system which was not their doing. They are being used as scapegoats for the real culprit/culprits. The current problem of lack of drivers will I am sure in time be solved. However the inherent problems with the new system will remain and we will be have to be content with new shiny buses which are comfortable and pleasing to the eye but which do not take us where we want in the least possible time. The drivers will continue to be blamed. Others will remain free from any shortcoming because that is the way in Malta. The culprit if he is high up will never be censured and be held responsible for the botch up of a relatively good transport system.

Mark-anthony Fenech

Jul 11th 2011, 21:07

@ Tony Camilleri: Why should I care about other Maltese? Why should I boycott a foreign product at all costs if there is a Maltese product available? Your quaint patriotism is, well, quaint and antiquated... Nationalism was a always a rubbish concept..

Kev Samut

Jul 11th 2011, 18:47

Give them a proper pay and dear Arriva you will see them back as promised.
Can Arriva tell us what is the amount of pay it's giving to the drivers it brought from England? Surely not the same as they are paying the Maltese drivers!
PEANUTS...................

Mario Grima

Jul 11th 2011, 08:50

“Conspiracy theorists could have a field day” Wow, is this a James Bond sequel or what? Mr. Delia talks of sabotage and the people talk about the incompetence of Transport Malta (TM). The blame of the non-functional bus service all boils down to two issues:-
1. The routes as planned by TM are illogical, not user friendly, badly planned and complex to the drivers let alone the general public.
2. The conditions to the drivers were not properly communicated and the end result is that 180 drivers opted out.

The above issues coupled with Arriva's own mismanagement and incompetence have certainly stood out in the moment of truth. The only honourable way out for Manuel Delia is to make a public apology and resign. Perhaps his employer, Austin Gatt, can also join him.

Joseph Ellul

Jul 11th 2011, 07:27

So we took the 3.30 bus from Valletta to Zurrieq. It is June and we students stayed at the back of the bus, having a go at whatever was tentalising. As we arrived near It tela ' ta Hal Luqa, the driver footed the third gear in with a nice big crunch with a double clutch kick and off the bus went spilling its gutful of diesel smoke. As diesel engines go, it took us all 60 passengers almost all the way...but it stopped. Bloody "Paxinu" again. So off to the rescue...the students, young and old, had to push the bus up almost to the fibreglass factory and then as the bus tries to catch its own spit and air, we have to run up and board the bus again. By this time we make it up to " in nicca" where the first to unload are still laughing and putting their bit in to the old driver.
The conductor, Bertu, would by this time get red faced but gutsy and defend his old man and the bus.
After going through Luqa, Kirkopp, Safi and Xarolla, we would descend the bus while still going and even jump from the back door at the terminus. We made it!!!. It is 4.30 and so off we go and get some pastizzi.
VIVA PAXINU !!!!!

John Cassar

Jul 11th 2011, 06:51

Change and more change. That is life in a globalised world. How long has the population complained about the old buses and the rude bus drivers? This is why malta is 'mickey mouse'. It is a normal response to not like change. But 'change is coming'. And if the drivers don't like change, stiff sh..! Find another job! Let the people who want to work be allowed to do so. I am so sick of being trated like crap when I would use the buses. In the end I started to rent a car when I travelled to malta. A bus is a service based industry and if one doesn't like giving service, then don't be in it. Give the company a go and stop whingeing.

Joe Brincat-LL.D

Jul 11th 2011, 00:49

I noticed some buses going around, in the morning and in the evening. Empty. Not one or two, but quite a number. Are people voting with their feet ? I am sure that Arriva is losing money. And how long are they expected to lose money ? They are already contracting out to third parties, with the blessing of Transport Malta. Are we going to see more contracting out ?

I asked a former bus-owner about conditions of drivers. Not all old buses were owner-driven. The rate was per diem (on a day to day basis) and was LM25 per day that is Euro 58+ (excluding other benefits).

How is it that the old system found drivers, and the new fails ?

Another question is what is going to happen when schools start again in October ?

And who placed bus stops in the middle of nowhere ? I saw several of them going to and returning from Gozo by two different routes.

Mr John Azzopoardi

Jul 11th 2011, 00:12

Let us all calm down. A dramatic change like this always has risks. There is no way on turning back now. I hope the driver, if they still need a job return to their jobs, and be part of history. Things were not done right with this. I am sure someone had to know what was about to take place. Malta is way too small for people not to know. Also, this kind of service should have been introduced in March or April or IN October, not in the height of summer where it's hot and tempers flare as well as it's tourist season. for all the smartness, strategist are also not that smart. I always say that smart people at times fail as well.

Antoine Zammit

Jul 11th 2011, 00:08

No Mr. Delia is not trying to find someone to blame, nor he has gone bonkers. I used to work for the ADT, and I know VERY WELL what the ATP are capable of.. whilst being totally incompetent in their legitimate line of work: Public Transport


And I have seen enought classic James Bond movies to know what SPECTRE stands for. Extortion, Espionage, Torture, Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism. Ohh in this they excel! Big TIme, Take for example the Bus Strike (Stragi) of 2008. They are masters of Chaos. Isn't the black smoke they like to emit, terrorism and torture? Isn't the increase in subsidies they used to demand the government, or else they strike, an act of Extortion? Is it what we are witnessing right now with the failed start of the Arriva service, an act of sabotage and terrorism?? They are thugs and nothing more. And I did express my concern when it was announced that Arriva planned to employ maltese drivers, mostly from the old service.. Gammai I would have re-employed them. The Employment Register.. I wish for a time when THEY would be the only unemployed people in Malta.. And the Valletta Business Community - Take heed of this!

Mr. Delia - Sue the ATP, you have the Maltese Public behind you!

Mr Graham Holme

Jul 10th 2011, 22:49

Mr Tony Camileri
Maltese workers must boycott foreign companies?Brilliant suggestion for the advancement of the Maltese economy.Any foreign company wanting to invest in Malta,noooooooooo way,think again,the Maltese people will sabotage your efforts
With comments like yours,maybe foreign tourists should boycott Malta?

C Muscat

Jul 10th 2011, 22:40

it appears that the malta government has put us back to the 1960's. it is a shame on all involved!!!

Roy Schembri

Jul 10th 2011, 19:42

Sabotage Mr Delia ! Our minds boggle, you'll be telling us next some drivers are SPECTRE agents and that Ernst Stavro Blofeld is responsible !

Mr Delia, the public have the proper words for last weeks events - Incompetence and Ignorance - on your part and that of your chief the Hon Gatt. You found a convenient vehicle to blame when some drivers refused to work the amended hours and have plied that pathetic excuse until its no longer credible. Indeed it is now laughable. Numbers banded around ranged from 'up to 20' to 'around 40' to 'scores' to 'up to 180' the latest excuses say some of these drivers simply 'disappeared'. What? On a small island like this - but for all we know they could have popped over to the UK as I gather Arriva have vacancies there !

You and the Hon Gatt would be better raising your hands and admitting culpability. You've made a mistake. The routes should not have been changed. Now please do that and start again. Send for Arriva and tell them to work the old routes and schedules. Once that's done Mr Delia, you'll be able to 'perfect' the bus system as best it can and locals and tourists alike will be able to travel around with confidence once more. (providing they don't board a bendy-bus!!)

Mr Tony Camilleri

Jul 10th 2011, 19:22

People, how about starting to worry about these extremely dark stormy clouds that are on the horizon ?

100711
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Lagarde issues stark warning on US debt default

Mr M Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 19:21

If , as many of you are saying Arriva wants to work only profitable routes, why did it feel the need to mess up the Sliema route ??

The Sliema route, according to the report, was the only profitable route, so why change it ?

Why include Mater Dei and University on route 32 and still cal it a Sliema bus ?
Why include Buggiba on route 12 and still call it a Sliema bus ?
Why include half of Malta plus Bugibba and Chirkewwa on route 11 and still call it a Sliema bus ?
These routes, which make no sense, must be changed

When residents or tourists want to go to Sliema from Valletta , they do ot want to fight for a place on what is supposed to be a Sliema bus with commuters who want to go to other destinations .

Mr francis darmanin

Jul 10th 2011, 19:19

The more I see and hear about this shambles the more I tend to conclude that TM and Arriva planned this with other things in mind but definitely not the local individual customer. Yesterday afternoon I arrived from Italy. There were four or five Arriva buses at the MIA terminal. I wondered why. Then I noticed a big new building going up near the terminal, and guess what I thought to myself? Yes... that must be the real reason why TM directed so many bus routes to the Airport. Of course when this lovely building is ready MIA will be able to advertise it really nicely...all its customers, office workers etc brought right to the front door!!!! And please don't anyone write in to tell me I'm imagining.. I wasn't born yesterday!!! Surprised how the GRTU and the ALPA haven't realised this yet.

N. Bonello

Jul 10th 2011, 19:02

While all the attention is on Arriva I would like some answers and apologies (maybe even some resignations from those responsible) for some others.

1. Minister who is ultimately responsible for the way the project was implemented.
2. Transport Malta who came out with the new routes.
3. Others eg. CONsultants and Local Councils who advised minister/TM etc on the new system.

Diversion tactics towards Arriva may work with most people but ultimately the above are responsible.

I think the biggest mistake Arriva did was to trust these 'experts' and that Arriva were so naive not to notice that this was not a workable solution - the man in the street could see this fiasco coming.

Fran Abela

Jul 10th 2011, 18:35

Tony Camilleri - please explain one thing - you are saying that an employee who has signed a contract and does not attend work from DAY ONE can do so ? I know that if one is under probation one can decide not to continue working but from DAY ONE - I find that hard to believe. I came to the conclusion that your comments are politically motivated because every time you blame government and not the actual mistakes regarding the routes, etc. Mr. C. Busuttil you came to the conclusion that I am defending government - it is the same story all over. Whoever tries to reason out things is a Nationalist and not a person who can reason and use his brain. However you are free to think what you like. I only hope that Arriva's problems will be sorted out sooner than later so that we commuters - and I have been a commuter for the past 40 years so I know very well how the old bus transport system worked - will finally get a decent bus transport system. Bless you both and I wish you happiness in your life.

Darren Bonnici

Jul 10th 2011, 18:35

Imbasta dak il-paroli fil-vojt l'andkom! Qed taraw ha kif il-kumpanija tal-ARRIVA mandix tort fuq id-delays u x'naf jien. Jekk tafu taqraw għandkom miktub kważi kull xufier min ta tal-linji l-antiki ma marux għax-xogħol. Jew enkela joqgħodu jitmejlu mat-triq. Imbasta tmaqdru u tgergru! Issa mil-lum daħlu 50 xuffier/a biex isuqu tal-linji. Jiġifieri mandkomx għalfejn tkomplu tgergru!

(Dan il-kumment jod għal min qed imaqdar l-ARRIVA)

Ms Francesca Abela

Jul 10th 2011, 18:27

Come on Mr Delia, dont make people laugh, you should resign your post for the mess you got us into - admit that who planned the routes got it all wrong - they made a big omlette in some areas especially in the Souith of Malta, my mother is having to miss going to mass daily for the first time because you or someone from your Ministry took away the direct Bus from the Jerma area in Marsascala. Do you really expect elderly people to walk from Jerma Hotel Area to get to the Church? Before they had the bus, now they dont. So you have to solve this mess you created. By blaming the drivers you are only making it worse. Change the routes now not in six months time - dont make excuses about contracts, the puiblic is not at all happy with some routes, otyhers are satisfied, but those that are causing inconvienience to people must be changed back to the old routes..

Roberta Sciberras

Jul 10th 2011, 18:24

For those who have been remarking that the new routes are based on the Halcrow Report of 2005 I invite you to go through this report here: http://www.globestudios.co.uk/maltabybus/misc/halcrow%20report%202005.pdf

Pages 106 to 108 advocate some streamlining of certain routes and the elimination of certain others, but for the most part the old routes were to be retained and from what I can tell even with the same numbering.

So it seems evident that someone else tried to reinvent the wheel!

Para. 11.15.1 on page 123 is very enlightening.

Joseph Grech Attard

Jul 10th 2011, 18:18

"Arriva was chosen because of its global credentials in this business and
 because it won the competition for the least cost to taxpayers." U hallina Sur Delia!! Aktar trasparenza please!! The Maltese are still very cynic about politics. No one believes that such things are done solely for the sake of the taxpayers'!! Whose fault is it that 180 bus drivers failed to report to work? Who changed the conditions agreed upon? As usual, the workers are to blame. How much these incidents remind me of the doctors' strike in 1977!! The Party presently in Govt thought otherwise then, and most of us believed it!!

Mr Tony Camilleri

Jul 10th 2011, 18:13

“To address issues with services in more remote areas with lower passenger numbers, with the consent of Transport Malta, Arriva are temporarily sub-contracting some of the feeder routes. Vehicles on these routes will clearly display an Arriva logo and route number,” Mr Bastow added.

So you run the profitable routes and dump the unprofitable ones on the local suppliers. Have you and shame Bastow - NON-Arriva-L?

"Arriva was chosen because of its global credentials in this business and
 because it won the competition for the least cost to taxpayers. It has
 yet to win the competition for customer support."

Have a look at the link by Roberta Manwel.
From http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Comments-on-Review__Arriva_5142502
Doesn't appear that NON-Arriva-L has satisfied its customers elsewhere.

"The public transport service contract was won by the tender from a transport company of international repute, operating bus systems in nineteen different European jurisdiction and owned by Deutschebahn – the apex of the European transport business. We could hardly have aimed for or got more as far as quality is concerned. If they cannot get it right, who can?"

Pull the other one Manwel. It's got bells on.

Kenneth Galea

Jul 10th 2011, 17:52

@Mr C Busuttil
I have seen this name several times especially when it comes to Arriva debates. Jinfexx bit-tajjir and this shows that Mr C Busuttil has something to hide. I am not saving Government's blushes, why do you have to always jump into politics whatever your comments are????.
Anybody is free to apply to work for Arriva, if the refugees living in Malta feel that it is not for them then they can look elsewhere. What slavery are you talking about? Minn fejn giebta din ta l-iskjavitu? A lot of guys out there mainly of foreign origin are willing to work whether with Arriva or someone else. And stop this barrage of tajjir and grow up once and for all.

Roberta Sciberras

Jul 10th 2011, 17:10

From http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Comments-on-Review__Arriva_5142502

adam.owen 13.10.2001 13:51

".....Before I could drive and I went to college I used to get the bus there. It was about a 6-mile journey and I could get a bus from the end of my road into the town centre then walk about half a mile to the college. This bus was always packed full and luckily my stop was near the start so I got a seat. Now what confused me is when we were told the bus was going to be cancelled as it wasn’t popular enough.. Was this the same jam-packed full bus I used they were talking about, why yes it was. I wrote to the bus company asking them to explain why they were cancelling it, what a waste of time that was! I was fobbed of with the excuse that the bus wasn’t popular enough and I could now still get there if I got two busses increasing my journey time by about 20 mins!! Either that or I could walk about 1 mile to the next nearest bus stop and get just the one bus! And I thought we were all supposed to be encouraged to use public transport. Well I now drive everywhere in my car and have never been on a bus in 4 years and I never will again!! From Adam."

Now you know why we no longer have the old routes, why we have interchanges or have to walk half a mile to get a bus. Profit! While at the same time local drivers are paid peanuts.

Mr Bastow has Arriva yet decided on the level of bonus it will be awarding the drivers who "worked their heart out" and responded well "above and beyond the call of duty" ?

Mark J. Magri

Jul 10th 2011, 16:54

ARRIVA has tripled our bus fare...that is all I cared for. Amen.
GRANPINTO

Stephen Zammit

Jul 10th 2011, 16:46

1 week to filter the bad out of maltese transport... not bad at all.

Mr C Busuttil

Jul 10th 2011, 16:30

@Wilfred Camilleri and Fran Abela

I admire your passion in trying to safe the blushes of the government. I am a nationalist too but I try to be an objective one and don't let my political views blind me.

As a daily commuter I can assure you that ALL maltese hoped for a better public transport and looked forward for arriva but our hopes have been all in vain since the chaos out there is not arriva's fault but Transport Malta.
Please no conspiracy theories the former drivers could hardly read and they are definitely NO KGB agents capable of sabotaging arriva. The system planned by TM is stupid, a simple traffic jam in Marsa or Imsida will bring to a standstill the terminus in Valletta because the central hub was eliminated by some genius "imbasta bhal ta' barra".
Arriva should have never accepted the new system. As they got the blame for what was crystal clear of what was going to happen. Why on earth a commuter from Zurrieq, Imqabba, Qrendi etc going to work has his bus go at the airport why? ghax forsi tigi z-zija mill-amerika? Its waste of time.
Why do Sliema commuters have to be careful not to end up in Hagar Qim first before going to their destination. Why does a gozitan worker has to make a sightseeing tour that starts from Cirkewwa instead of going directly to Valletta?
No I am sorry I don't believe that it was fault of the former drivers even at full capacity of drivers the system would fail. We needed a fine tuning of the former system.
The government is still in time to admit that it was let down by TM, the public will take notice that the government was capable of admitting its mistakes ghax dik tfisser irgulija.
Change things now otherwise labour can start forming its new government now as the election would be a walkover handed on a silverplate.

Mr Joe Spiteri

Jul 10th 2011, 16:03

Drivers refusing to work? Go to the Marsa roundabout where there are hundreds looking for ANY kind of job. Employ them as bus drivers with Arriva; I'm sure they will be more than willing to do the job !

francis Buhagiar

Jul 10th 2011, 15:50

This is the end of the ends. When I read Mr. Delia statement I feel I am reading Orwell’s book 1984. You change the conditions of work, break a contract of work and pretend that the employee remain with their mouth shut and take no action. Malta is in a pitifully state we lack managers and those who are good administrators are staying away from politicians as they will be described as CuC . I hope that when the Maltese goats go to vote in few months time they keep the cuc Malti in mind.
Frans Buhagiar

Karl Abela

Jul 10th 2011, 15:49

The labour party as yet has not condemned the behaviour of these drivers. I wonder why.

Joe Fenech

Jul 10th 2011, 15:26

These drivers should be out forever. If the government in any way shape or form forced Arriva to take them (previous Tal-Linja drivers or a percentage of them), Austin Gatt, Gonzi and MTA heads should step down. They knew what they were made of but still wanted to re-employ them in order not to lose votes.

THIS IS A POLITICAL CRISIS !

Mr mark johnson

Jul 10th 2011, 15:12

Someone should have told Arriva that there is no effective enforcement of law and order in malta.

Fran Abela

Jul 10th 2011, 15:06

Toni Camilleri - issa ikkonfermajtli li il kummenti tieghek huma biss politika u xejn iktar. Nittama li kif ghid int, meta (u jekk) il PL ikun fil gvern kollox imur sew u kulhadd ikun kuntent. Rigward il kuntratti tax-xoghol jekk dawn gew mibdula il haga civili li wiehed seta jagmel hi li imur dritt il Union tieghu u thalli lila tiggwidah. Nerga nirrepeti EBDA haddiem ma ghandu id-dritt li ma jmurx ghax xoghol l-ewwel gurnata la darba iffirma il kuntratt. Ifihima din darba ghal dejjem.

Thelma Cilia

Jul 10th 2011, 14:47

I had no doubt from day one that sabotage was behind all the trouble...teething troubles are of course expected, after all it's a big change, but sabotage is so blatantly obvious, it doesn't take a genius to see it. In my opinion it was a big mistake employing former bus drivers, we all know what sort of persons most of them are. But then again there are the pea brains who would make a big issue of the situation for political reasons. When are the Maltese going to grow up and be able to make a judgement without political innuendoes? Keep strong Arriva I'm sure that through your perseverence you will succeed in giving Malta the overdue decent transport service it deserves.

Mark Jones

Jul 10th 2011, 14:45

Just as in the UK, where non-Arriva fails its customers from Darlington in the north to Watford in the south, it's always someone else's fault.

I don't doubt that there is an element of Luddite-ism involved here. But Delia, Gatt et al should have had their fingers on the pulse and made sure that people were properly trained and properly remunerated. The rostering issues should have been foreseen and dealt with before last Sunday. I have even heard non-Arriva officials blaming ex-ATP drivers for sabotaging the route indicators; and I have also heard the new company operatives screaming "Mhux l'Arriva! Mhux l'Arriva!" at frustrated passengers who just wanted to get home after a day's work but found themselves stuck at Marsa or the Airport for 90 minutes.

What we have is a job 'on the cheap' using a company with an abysmal track record in customer care, certainly in parts of the UK.

Delia & Gatt must GO.

Peter Gatt

Jul 10th 2011, 14:29

I cannot understand why Mr Delia is so surprised and disappointed. He should rejoice at all this for he can now claim to be one of us, that is, what a government minister so affectionately described his fellow countrymen, a 'cuc Malti'. I suggest we elect Mr Delia as honorary president of this merry band of men and women. Anyone to second this proposal?

Mr Dave Smith

Jul 10th 2011, 14:21

Point of interest.
From balcony overlooking St Paul's bypass old grey busses full, Arrivas empty ,just training we suppose,
with cardboard route. numbers from ferry???????????????

Mr Lawrence Fenech

Jul 10th 2011, 14:18

Who wants to drive around for eight hours on our Malta roads for peanuts.

Grace Caruana

Jul 10th 2011, 14:11

You wake up in the morning and you think that you are in another country! That what we were told before this bus reform, it's true people tought that they are in India. It looks that Mr Delia do not have an idea about which system of public transport we need in Malta and instead of having a good plan he kept telling people that they will start going to church by bus and things like this. He is lucky that some bus drivers did not turned up to work so he can have an excuse at least, although it's true that this helped the pudding.I suggest to all the transport ministry people to be polite in there comments and how they address these people because probably the shortage of drivers is going to persist.Another thing which is important, in a short time the government subsidy have to be raised soon on this system with the first revision of the routes or second.Take a note!!!

E. Azzopardi

Jul 10th 2011, 14:06

These are the same people to whom the taxpayers gave so much of their hard earned money. These drivers did not give a damn a let those same taxpayers suffer in the heat of the summer. I suppose that they did this for the "love of their country". They should be ashamed, but they do not know how. They were inefficient, rude and several should never have presented themselves in front of people. Thank God that it is good riddens.
I still blame those who gave them a ten year job guarantee besides the money. I enormous mistake, but it goes with all the other gross mistakes happening lately, I suppose. Having said this, WE should ALL ( and by ALL I mean ALL) help Arriva because it is in the interest of our country, which we boast so much that we love and that we do everything for DIN L-ART HELWA, Do we ALL mean it or not?

Mr C Busuttil

Jul 10th 2011, 14:04

Soon they will tell us that the old drivers managed to hack the software of arriva.

Sabotage my foot ma kontx naf lix-xuffiera l-antiki kienu tajbin ghal mall-kgb

Mr John J Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 13:58

uuuuuuhh..... conspiracy!!!
call it cheap labour...yes cheap labour...arriva cannot give top notch wages....so drivers have no option than not showing up or self firing !!!! arriva keeps employing new drivers with same rates!!! hopefully in the near future considering our unemployed rate there will enough chaps to drive all busses...hopefulll!!

Fran Abela

Jul 10th 2011, 13:53

Ghadu jeqred Tony Camilleri - jaqaw kellek xeba buses li fuq kollox thallast ghalihom ? Thabbilx rasek meta jkun fil gvern il PL kollox jimxi fuq ir-rubini. Nawguralek.

Victor Pulis

Jul 10th 2011, 13:53

So according to Mr. Deliadark clouds were already looming two weeks before the launch of the service. This makes it even worse than it appeared because if trouble was anticipated steps should have been taken or the launch postponed. Mr. Delia knew what type of persons he was dealing with and after all it was one of the conditions that these drivers were to be emloyed with Arriva. So it was TM who put the wolf among the chickens as it were. Mr. Delia should know that the driver shortage is not the only problem facing the public. The insane new route system is not compatible with such a small country as Malta. No one ever complained about theold routes and there was no need for this cataclysmic change. All that was needed was some tweaking here and there.

Mr Joseph E Briffa

Jul 10th 2011, 13:48

At 12 noon, I drove from Msida thro' Gzira, Sliema front, S Julian's and along the coast Road right up to Naxxar and back from Telgha t"Alla u Ommu, Naxxar, Sanf Gwann and back to Msida. The trip didn't take me more than 30 /35 minutes I noted not less than 16 buses on the way, including the 11, 12, 123, X1. three bendy buses They were all moving at a good 30/40 kph. So I would assume that they made their trips in about 30/35 minutes - 20 kms takes you to Mellieha. Seems that things are moving and that within a few days the transport service will be functioning well. Of course one can't please everybody, some people will still expect to have a bus stop near their front door, but not so many want to pay for the service. The moaners and groaners will still be there, unless to turn to something else to grumble about. And I did not see any emissions coming out of the buses.

john dimech

Jul 10th 2011, 13:39

I have been on holiday till last Wednesday in England and France. While in the UK we went on buses. THEY CHARGED US THE SAME AS EVERYONE. We went to France. We went on the buses there. THEY CHARGED US THE SAME AS EVERYONE. So why does it have to be different over here?
Whatever the ministry and relevant vompanies try to say to push the blame, one thing is certain... THE BUS SERVICE IS WORSE THEN IT HAS EVER BEEN. And even if all the drivers go back to work, it doesn't solve the idiotic idea of changing the tried and tested routes of the past. gettin to anywhere a whole hour later than before is is going to be a problem to ALL COMMUTERS, local, tourist or alien!
And another thing... are the drivers coming over from England and other places on the same wage as the Maltese drivers? Wouldn't that mean that these drivers are accepying a much LOWER wage? How's that going to work? Or has Arriva promised them MORE??? If so why couldn't it do the same to the Maltese drivers?
I will be the first to admit that the old system needed haulage, but the way this new system is now, it's going to need a miracle to succeed. What is already happeneing is, that like me, thousands of others have started to use their cars. We will because we can. But what about those, like the elderly and mothers with kids who do not have a car, or now find that the husband had to take it to work in order to be there on time... what are they going to do?
And a last comment to try to make this farce a little light hearted... Who was the idiot who thuoght of BENDY BUSES IN MALTA!!!!! This is not cartoon world where the bus can actually bend to suit the roads.
Did he work for Disney before he took up the Transport ministry???

Mr Clayton Mangion

Jul 10th 2011, 13:28

Arriva GO AWAY!

C Muscat

Jul 10th 2011, 13:27

Jidher car li qedghin nghixu f pajjiz totalitarju u ma hemmx alternattiva jekk nibdlu l-gvern ghax is-sistema hi li hi. Wistin ga qal li ta din id-disfatta behsiebu jiehu l-pensjoni u ma jaghmel xejn izjed. Delia jtuh xi promotion minhabba ghajnejh u ahna nikkriepaw.
Mela isma din…ftahru li l-arriva kellhom izommu x-xufiera tal karozzi tal-linja u dawn ma kellhomx problema ghax sovewha billi tawhom 500 euro fil-gimgha LOL
U jien minn fleur de lys kont nasal f inqas minn kwarta..b’karozza wara l- bieb kull kwarta u minn dan kollu telaq kollox mar-rih. Kelli nerga nibda nuza l karozza…. Msieken ix-xjuh u min hu batut li ma setax isolviha bhali…
U ballec delia u wistin jibqghu jidhru quddiem in-nies qisu ma gara xejn…
Mela jekk toqtol ghasfur habs u multa kbira..jekk tbiegh id-drogi jew ituk avukat u tohrog free jekk tislef hemm l-uzura u min miskin kellu linja nehhewielu LOL

Mr B Brincat

Jul 10th 2011, 12:59

Dear Mr. Delia, this conspiracy theory is wearing thinner and thinner, and it is making you look like a fool. Evidence of this is contained within this article itself, where you are contradicting Arriva's Mr. Bastow on the number of drivers deserting the service. Stating that they were "almost all of them from the old system" flies in the face of Arriva's official statement that they were roughly half. The reality is that Arriva underestimated the human resources element, the backgrounds of these drivers and the attractiveness of the package.

In any case, when eventually Arriva get their act together and routes will start operating on time, a sad realisation will dawn upon all of us - that the system is nowhere as useful as it used to be, thanks to the insanity of the routes bestowed upon us by Transport Malta. Airconditioning and a smile upon the driver's face will never offset the fact that you need a good two hours, and often as much as four buses, for many destination permutations.

At that point you will have plenty to answer for, not least the way these routes were drafted in the first place, and what entities were consulted. Logic would dictate that Local Councils, who for many years have bore the brunt of public demands for improvement, would have had a valid contribution to make. I know for a fact however that this never took place. You'd be well adivsed to start thinking of excuses from now, and credible ones this time round.

D. Xerri

Jul 10th 2011, 12:55

Daqshekk Buzullotti :~) he told us a week ago !
I say - We never ever seen so many Buzullotti since when you said it Mr Minister in our public transport and God only knows how many more were gonna see Buzullotti :~)

Anthony Pace

Jul 10th 2011, 12:54

The persons who should be shot are TM who designed the new routes and Arriva person for agreeing to them.

I heard to TVM that they are not reverting to the old routes for at least six months. Take head PM. The maltese will not forget the frogga you created. People late for work for six months. Just because the the minister wants to be stubborn and wants to get at the bus drivers for some conflict in 2008. Really the PN deserve to be in opposition for the rest of the twenty-first century.

There is an improvement to-day in buses because it it is Sunday. There is no need for buses to stop at Mater Dei so much. Strike breaking is illegal. Take head GWU. The CEO ofKM cannot break the pilots strike.

We were better when we were worse. I never took notice of the swearing ot talking on the phone of the drivers. The new ones do it as well. But then I am a man. Malta in summer is hot and tere is nothing wrong with shorts unless you are the PM.

The new buses will be dirty just as the old ones did in a month's time. I have been on Arriva's London buses and some are really filthy with vomit on the floor.

But then the maltese never learn not to grumble. Now we landed it on our heads, a big frogga.

Non-Arriva are exploiting the drivers good will. Huge buses designed for he continental europe. Disgraceful Prime Minister. Anybody in the street could tell you that. Stop the sight-seeing and panaramic views. You might still get elected if you admit your mistakes and retract some of the harm done now, not in six months time. Better still give Non-Arriva the boot and tell them to go home.

Mr Rene Brincat

Jul 10th 2011, 12:43

The Drivers were just only part of the problem, and not turning up even against their Union's advice was Wrong. However the reasons now are becoming clear, because we the public are not idiots. Low pay and too much complications and responsibility were draining Arriva of drivers before they even started to operate, then at the last week they were forced to change the roster so to fill these gaps. This was the straw that broke the camel's back! I know one particular decent driver who used to work in the old system, who is now working (always punctually reporting to work as instructed) for Arriva, his first week out of 6 days included 2 split shifts and 3 night shifts!

However nearly half of those not turning up where not from the old regime. And besides those owners from the old regime who did attend the mandatory training were loosing work and getting fined if not able to find a replacement. So for Mr Delia to say that these were just attending training to then sabotage Arriva is just NONSENSE. And reporting faults that did not exist, maybe, but I say it is more a problem of communication and complex issues ARRIVA is now faced with.

Eg. Bendy Buses going up hills at a snails pace. London is not that hilly / or hot as Malta, so were these tested with 150 people aboard, A/C full on and going up some of the hills on their routes? No wonder these are now getting stuck on hills and overheating! And Mr Delia blaming the old drivers, give us a break.

As to the routes, I say that TM's intentions are good and for the better, some follow up changes will surely be needed. But not having to go near Valletta every time having to change a bus is good and better serving the Airport is also a good concept. Before commenting on the routes we should let Arriva settle down and operating the full schedule as per contract, then we will be in a better position to comment objectively.

Mario Farrugia

Jul 10th 2011, 12:36

I truly believe that eventually the service will not only improve but will exceed expectations. On condition that :
1. The new routes need to be changed immediately.
2. Get rid of all the old bully rule the world bus drivers.
3. Park and Ride needs to be much cheeper, a minimal fee of 50c. Otherwise Valletta and Floriana will become like Milan and Rome...where one could hardly breath. Car drivers are running all over the place for hours hoping to find a parking slot to understandably save €2.50 a day.
But is it only the man in the street who realises that such small things make big differences????

Mr Evarist Saliba

Jul 10th 2011, 12:34

Without in any way absolving Arriva for shortcomings which have nothing to do with drivers, the claim that some drivers of the old system conspired to sabotage the new system so that things would revert to the old one cannot be discounted. In fact a claim was publicly made that this would happen.
Unfortunately, this mentality prevails in Malta. It was evident when agents to the old national lottery system, who through their official position had access to addresses of good overseas agents, were debarred under a Mintoff administration from remaining agents to eliminate the abuse of poaching. Deliberate mistakes were made to create confusion, and loss of revenue, in the belief that the old system would be reintroduced. I experienced the same attitude among many government employees who were not ready to accept the change of government in 1987. It is an attitude particular to no political party supporters or a group of employees, but to long embedded vested interests, which resemble a monopoly, in a comparatively small community.
We have to outgrow such destructive mentality.

Mr Pawlu Agius

Jul 10th 2011, 12:34

From http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20100123/local/government-makes-final-compensation-offer-to-bus-owners.290996
"The government was also offering owners of the old buses €98,000 for their licence and their vehicle. The owners of low floor buses were being offered €118,000. The Public Transport Association had been asking for €177,000 for the former and €200,000 for the latter."

With all that money at hand, the old bus drivers can spare a year and more unemployed. They grew rich in one day and will surely not bother to go to work for now.

Mr louis scicluna

Jul 10th 2011, 12:31

When, or if, this whole "disorganization" in ( wasting time in waiting and herding people, changing and boarding again, longer trips, mechanical faults in new vehicles, remodeling of routes, new bus stops, new numbers, unsatisfied employees, etc.etc. ) will pipe down, we will all be awarded with a price increase in new fares....

Michael Bruce

Jul 10th 2011, 12:26

What a coincidence! 2 weeks before the Arriva service began, Arriva unilaterally cancelled the offer of substantially higher wages to those ex-ATP drivers who would sign up to drive bendy buses.
So the avalanche of resignations should come as no surprise, and bear in mind that these experienced drivers have tried training in the bendies and are aware how dangerously they will handle on steep hills and narrow roads in the rain and evening /dawn dew as well as being grossly underpowered when fully loaded on the steepest gradients - these vehicles are a danger to the everyone on the roads in anything other than perfect weather.

Isola Danti

Jul 10th 2011, 12:24

Good news! No one said the old bus drivers are the only ones to blame for the chaos. The new routes, which were designed by TM and operated by Arriva seem to be causing problems here and there and should be revised carefully once the missing bus drivers are fully replaced and all the buses on track. However the no-show drives are the direct and major cause of the disastrous first week - one doesn't need an IQ above average to figure that out. And whoever DELIBERATELY sabotage the public transport service should be punished by law. Why those old drivers should have the exemption from performing duties that the law requires other citizens to perform? They had been taking the nation for a ride for too long, it's hard to imagine how it could happen in any civilized countries. Now it's finally the time for the lawless ones to realize that the days they can bully the public and get away with are gone - they, just like anyone else, have to take respoNsibility for what they do.

This morning I have noticed a significant increase of frequency in bus No. 21, 22, 23, 32 on the road. One time a bus stopped at a stage no more than 30 seconds to take a tourist on board, all the cars behind it started honking the hones as if Malta had just won the World Cup, even more outrageous sounding than, say, if an old bus driver stopped in the middle of the road and lumbered off to buy lotto ticket (I personally witnessed such incident no less than three times). I think those motorists could have been kinder. The new Arriva bus drivers have been working under tremendous pressure. They deserve support, respect and admiration from the public.

Mr Ernest Vella

Jul 10th 2011, 12:22

ma rridux il-marmalja terga tiehu s-servizz f'idejja...spicca z-zmien tal-laqizmu...ahjar servizz nofs kedda milli servizz moghti b'arroganza...Malta jixraqilha s-serjeta!!!

George Abdilla

Jul 10th 2011, 12:20

what a load of crap!!!!!!

why dont you say li fejn missejtu ghaxxaqtuh Man!

id double il uses tnehhew jeq qed jitnehhew lil lingliterra, u hawn indahluhom!

x'ser jigri issa biex nalqu triq ghal festa, jew attivita? min ser ihallas? Monopolju hlaqtu!!!!

grazzi ta dan id-disservizz.

Mr Henry Mifsud

Jul 10th 2011, 12:17

If only Arriva practiced the most and simplest dictum in good marketing practice .........

NEVER PROMISE MORE THAN YOU CAN DELIVER BUT DELIVER MORE THAN YOU PROMISE!.......

they would have been a success story from day one. Putting the customer at the core is the only right formula because the customer is always right, RIGHT?

Unfortunately they decided to disregard the market completely and it is quite evident that to them the customer was not the core of their business model. In this day and age even a Monopolist must be very careful as to how to deal with the customer as although direct competition might not be readily available, there is always scope for good substitution.

Perhaps now is high time for the short-sighted white taxi operators to take advantage of the situation by not looking to make a fast buck as always by skinning whoever uses their service but by collectively agreeing to slash their prices to customers' expectations and secure their long-term business model.

To check whether this makes sense or not, one needs only ask the other cab operators (black, yellow, etc) whether they experienced a surge in business during the past week. My suspicions are that they did!

Mr C Busuttil

Jul 10th 2011, 12:17

Does transport Malta REALLY BELIEVE we are that stupid ? its not arriva's fault or the missing drivers but those routes and the reduced terminus in Valletta.

Admit that you made a blunder you managed to ruin what was the worse service in Malta because instead of improving it you tried to play the reformers and got everything wrong. If you don't use a bus how can you have an idea what is necessary!!!!!

Emanuel Tabone

Jul 10th 2011, 12:11

Emanuel Tabone
Mr Delia tigdibx izjed il hmieg li fihom il buses tort tax xufiera li kien hemm .ergejna waqajna ghal Karti basta infaqna fit teknologija tort tax xufiera li kien hemm jekk ma tifimx tindalx fejn ma jesakx ma jidrux kemm huma kapaci iktar managers milli xufiera ghax ma jsuqux huma ukoll basta min xaghar qabel iduru ma Malta u Alla jbierek jaghmlu li jridu isa xtrawa pajjizi ohra fallew u awn qabel bdew

B Agius

Jul 10th 2011, 12:06

EXCUSES, EXCUSES, EXCUSES.....Mr. Delia is so flabbergasted with the failure of this project so far that he does not know what other excuses to find. Instead he is trying to give the blame to a ghost of drivers which the public do not want them to provide the bus service. I think that Mr. Delia is more frustrated that the pigeon he would have held during the next election campaign has now vanished in fumes and would now have to work harder to find another one to help in his campaign.

It will be better for both Arriva and the Ministry (or may I say the latter only) to be sincere and say what has failed in this whole process as most of Malta know the reason for the failure whereas it is only them who have still not recognized the real reasons. The best people are only those who admit failure and not those who continue beating around the bush.

Mr M Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 12:05

Get rid of anyone who does not want to work. Give decent pay and you will have many more drivers who will be willing to woek fro you t.

But , and this is the most important issue, give us routes we can use . The ones on now are hopeless.

Joseph Ellul

Jul 10th 2011, 11:55

The way I look at this fracas from far away is that the Maltese people are getting to be like the Greeks.

Etienne Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 11:54

IL Hmar iwahhal f'dembu...............The whole problem is in the planning of the routes. What works in UK and other countries does not work for us. The old routes were there by 50 years of trial and error and they use to work well. In this country we only needed new buses and good behavior of the drivers.

Christian Sciberras

Jul 10th 2011, 11:46

Can't Arriva seek compensation from these vandals?
If they were recruited on contract but failed to keep up with their data, Arriva should be eligible for compensation equivalent to how much it would have paid the employee during the term of contract.

On the other hand, replying to comments below which concern sacking of drivers, I'd like to point out that if anyone intentionally harms a company's infrastructure, usually, that would end his career in that field.

What I'm saying is that drivers don't *just* deserve being fired, but intentionally given "a bad name" by the company.

Mark-anthony Fenech

Jul 10th 2011, 11:45

Those who sabotaged Arriva should be taken to court and punished severely!

Charles Micallef

Jul 10th 2011, 11:41

The question is why did ARRIVA ever even contemplate employing these cowboys, a five year old could have told them that they cause trouble ! this is trouble of your own making ARRIVA!

j brincat

Jul 10th 2011, 11:41

Another newspaper in English (published weekly) has stated that a driver with Arriva is paid €4.30 an hour if he or she works for 2,340 hours a year, at 45 hours per week over five days. This driver will, therefore, earn the astronomical sum of €10,078 a year!.

If this is the true (I don't see any reason why it should not be so) then it explains why the drivers are refusing to work with Arriva! Imagine their reaction when they get to know how much the imported drivers from UK (who do not speak Maltese as stipulated in the contract) are being paid.

An then Dr Gonzi gave himself the insensitive weekly increase of €500!

(jb)

Mr John Montague

Jul 10th 2011, 11:35

Whatever the issue, this company is not adhering to contract - at least I trust there is a contract which stipulates minimum acceptable standards, exit clauses if these are not met, etc.

We seem to have been landed with buses which were removed from London's (wider) streets as they were statistically found to be unsafe, an IT system which does not work, in a network guaranteed to get you there late, and management intent on blaming some drivers for all of the above.

Time to wake up...

Stephan Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 11:35

Hawn hafna li ikkumentaw dwar ir-rotot il godda, li iridu ir rotot lantiki u hafna ed isaqsu min amilom. Ir-rotot il-godda hargu mill-ufficju ta Transport Malta, fejn dawn kienu jafu is-sistema l-antika u setaw amluwa iktar semplici ghal-publiku biex jidraw is-sistema il-gdida. Ir-rotot il godda ma jamlux sens, qas xejn! U m'ghandi alfej inzid xej milli diga ikkumentaw hafna. Pero Malta kella bzon iktar min Bus Terminus wahda, taghmel hfna iktar sens u suppost flok indumu iktar indumu inqas.

Li emm bzon jamlu huwa dan! Jaqbdu u jirrangaw ir-rotot issa! MUX TLETT XUHUR OHRA SAKEM JOHORGU IR-ROTOT TAX XITWA, META SE JINHALAQ CHAOS IEHOR JEKK JERGAW IBIDLUWOM FOTTUBRU, U JAMLUWA IKTAR SEMPLICI BIEX TASAL MIN POST GHAL IEHOR.

Arriva ghandom ihabtu wicchom ma hafna, ezempju stenew li meta jigu Malta ha tkun iktar semplici peress li zajra, izda ma kinux preparati li f'dal pajjiz jihdu etternita bix jaghmlu xi haga. Ezempju basiku huwa li Alert Communications, il kumpanija li ed tihu hsib il website ta Arriva, li ed tigi uzata biss biss mil customer care biex jaqdu in nies, ghamlu disastru, My Journey jatik rotot li trid taqbad bla sens u ma jeziztux {ezempju jekk tuza My Journey bix taqbad Bus mil-Imqabba jejdlek taqbad rotta numru 1 li hija ta l-Isla! Issa din jekk icempel customer care lilek jejdulek biex taqbad!!!}

Gianfrancesco Buttigieg

Jul 10th 2011, 11:34

U tghid int xufier b'100,000 ewro (mit-taxxi taghna) komdi fil-kont ser joqghod jigi ghall-245 ewro fil-gimgha? They took the job to go out with a bang... and they certainly managed to.

I believe you, Mr. Delia, Arriva, Transport Malta, whoever - but now weed out the remaining bad apples and get the system working pronto.

And after all this confusion is over - pay the new drivers more. They're your greatest asset.

Come on, guys. Let's get this thing working.

Mr Jeffrey Mallia

Jul 10th 2011, 11:32

So a week ago it was 50 drivers, than 70 and now 100 !!! Sure nobody can see if this is true and you can splash figures out without being contested Sur Delia. And what about the shortcomings of of the IT system,and the mayhem routes that you've managed to soup up ? What about a trip to Valletta to Mellieha which takes 3 hours ? Or from Tarxien to Gudja in 50 min ,Is it the driver's fault as well ? Hallina Delia lil min trid iddahhak !

Mark-anthony Fenech

Jul 10th 2011, 11:32

I've used Arriva and so far I'm satisfied. The routes were planned by the ATP not Arriva by the way. The drivers are very well-mannered and the buses are comfortable, unlike the trash we had to endure before. If a foreigner gives me a better service than a Maltese person I'd choose the foreigner a hundred times over.

Julian Zarb

Jul 10th 2011, 11:30

it never ceases to amaze me on this island how we are slow to take action at gross incompetence and disservice and then, when, eventually we do take action we are quick to criticize the shortcomings throughout the transitional period (something which every entity - commercial or otherwise - goes through at its initial stage of life)and we expect a quick ROI! It happens in cases of investments by micro or macro (the little there are here!) companies and it is happening within ONE week - seven days - since we slithered into the 21st century with our public transport system, from a prehistoric system of fume belching, ignorance driven service to one that has a great potential and should change our culture and habits of how we travel in these islands. Let us learn to behave like real civic minded and responsible citizens instead of the pampered community that earned us the reputation of "Maltese Gem Gem"!

Kenneth Galea

Jul 10th 2011, 11:29

Arriva sack these culprits, these bus drivers from the old system who are trying to sabotage the Arriva service are commiting a crime in reporting faults on the buses which simply do not exist. Arriva should not waste any time on these culprits, if they do not like the new bus service they look for another job. There are scores of unemployed people in Spain and Portugal and Greece too. All can work in Malta as all are in the EU. The Maltese drivers from the old system should be ashamed of themselves, the GWU also intervened to make things 'better' for them but they cannot expect the best of both worlds from day number 1. Please Arriva with the backing of Minister Autin Gatt sack these culprits, we want a service which runs smoothly and there are a lot of guys out there who are willing to work and have a strong work ethic. You have a good selection, Eastern and Central Europe, then the refugees who are indeed most willing to work and earn a living to improve their standard of living.

Philip Pace

Jul 10th 2011, 11:22

Mr.Delia, let's be honest about this. In the brochures that your part together with Arriva and other interested parties distributed to the Maltse household it looked as the new messiah/saviour/wonder man was coming to Malta to deliver a first class transport system. You raised our ( we the commutors) expectations sky high without involvind us in the set up of this shambolic bus service. A colossal mistake in the first place!
You mentioned that you knew that trouble was brewing before the 3rd of July. I, and we the commutors knew that the 'old regime' was preparing to do something. What did you do during this time? You kept on raising the commutors expectations. You were on a collison course that blew up in your face on the eve of the 3rd of July as the GWU had to intervene to settle the issue. But that was not enough as the 3rd of July saw the most shambolic, dismal, amatuerish bus service taking over with disastrous results. You never thought out a contingency plan. Your planning of the whole operation was faulty since it's conception as you obviously relied on the wrong 'experts' or 'advisors'. We could have done better, if you humbly climbed down from your pedestal and walked with us and asked us. But no, that would have been beneath your standing!
I ask you and your Minister, when was the last time that you used the old public transport? When?
Why weren't the commutors who are the most important part of the jigsaw consulted in a sort of a survey BEFORE the 3rd of July?
Yet you preferred to dance with Arriva and we the commutors were left out of this important trio of vital players.
Very well you wanted to do things as you wanted to them, forgetting the simple fact that you are being paid from the people's money.
In other words you are now reaping what you sowed!
The fault is not only the old regime bus drivers who were accepted to be Arriva bus drivers, but other faults lie in the way that these were chosen, on what merits and how they were chosen, who chose them ,was the information supplied on recruting checked and double checked?.
Another fault lies in the way that the routes were planned such as the Marsa Park and Drive which is still unfinished though work on it started say around two months ago? This park and drive is making us the commutors lose those vital 5 to 10 minutes that we need to be at work in time! Why weren't certain roads deleted/scrapped such as certain narrow roads in Qormi and other places?
I use the public transport as I am writing from experience. Certain bloggers use their car and they are just commenting in frivilous way as they have never set foot in a public transport bus.
I did send a lot of ideas on the Malta Transport website MORE THAN A YEAR AGO, but they served nothing as it was your way and Arriva's way that mattered.
Now get your act together as this fracas is already one week old and all I need to see improvment not finger pointing, excuses and apologies as our patience is running REALLY thin!

Ms Lucia Davies

Jul 10th 2011, 11:16

We did expect teething problems, but it is obvious to all those who do not want to see Arriva go that with 180 drivers not turning out that something is going on behind these driver's actions,, you have to be really stupid not to realize that this was planned from the day they applied for the job as drivers with Arriva,, and another thing these ex bus drivers are the men that have 120 euros lying in there bank accounts paid for from our taxes,, not many hard working people can say they have that amount in their bank accounts, so please give us a break and let us get on with our lives with less stress

Mr twanny borg

Jul 10th 2011, 11:13

jista' jkun kif kien hemm min qal li d-drivers l-antiki kienu jaqilghu aktar milli jiddikjaraw biex jahdmu u issa qed jaraw li l-paga zghira? natualment ghax il-paga giet ikkalkulata fuq li gew iddikjarati. il-paga ghad-drivrs trid tkun dicenti li thajjarhom jibzu ghal job.

Joe Fenech

Jul 10th 2011, 11:12

You were idiotic enough to take them on. So YOU Arriva are to blame!

jason gatt

Jul 10th 2011, 11:09

hahhahhahahah qsamtni. delia qsamtni il problimi kollha li kellhom l arriva tort tax xufira l antiki BISS??
hallina.

rosalie micallef

Jul 10th 2011, 11:07

Bhas-soltu hux, taht l-amministrazzjoni prezenti ta' dan il-pajjiz....gejna mweghdin it-tlellix, izda meta wasalna ghall-fatti indunajna li kienu qeghdin jippruvaw jaghmuna. Sa fl-ahhar donnu li l -poplu issa qieghed jara car u sar intelligenti bizzejjed biex ma jkomplix jibla' kollox bhall-mazzun. Ir-rotot il-godda huma tal-biki, is-sistema tal-kompjuter ma tahdmix, il-karozzi jidhru li mhumiex adekwati bizzejjed ghall-pajjizna, il-pagi li gew offruti l-impjegati huma ta' disrispett u juru l-arroganza tal-kumpanija u ta' min accettaha u taha l-kuntratt. Is-sinjuri Gatt u Delia qalulna li issa anke ghall-gazzetta u l-quddies tal-Hadd filghodu m'ghandniex ghalfejn nuzaw iktar il-karozza taghna izda nistghu mmorru bl-Arriva (....tghid arrivera?), nixtieq nara lilhom jien fuq il-venda tal-Belt jew inkella fuq xi bus stop jinqlew fix-xemx ta' Lulju jew imorru ghax-xoghol fuq xi rotta gdida. E bilhaqq il-bierah il-karozza li konna fiha waqfet bla 'fuel', morna l-Marsa, ma sibniex fuel u kellna nirkbu karozza ohra.........wara siegha pero.

Tony Caruana

Jul 10th 2011, 11:06

HALLINA MR DELIA, GHAX MA TAJTX LI INT HU AUSTIN GATT GHAMILTU DIZASTRU !!!

Alex Fenech

Jul 10th 2011, 11:02

The reputation of past ATP bus drivers is unfortunate but well known. Do you really want tax payers to buy the fact that this very reputation was not factored when these driver were re-employed with Arriva? It would have crossed the mind of a junior trainee project manager to carry out basic risk management analysis of this island-wide operation and prepare risk mitigation plans for eventual risks identified. Is it possible that our top brains managing this whole operation have overseen the highly likely risk that past ATP bus drivers unfortunately were not so keen in making Arriva a success story? I sincerely hope this is the case, for i don't want to think that such top brains actually have forseen this risk, and purposely re-employed past bus drivers to have an easy scapegoat should operations not perform as expected.

James J. Patton

Jul 10th 2011, 11:00

Arriva were aware of it, MT were aware of it, even the dogs in the street knew that some form of rebelion would take place by a section of the disgruntled regime who have been openly displaying their displeasure since Minister Gatt announced the Refomation of an outdated Transport System, they see it day and daily in some form or other as not all employees fully agree with changing working practices or procedures, you can rest assured that a formula was in place in the event of such action but how do you legislate for what has been nothing short of a premeditated mutiny of this magnitude imposed by our own Maltese Nationals.

It will take time to put matters right and management are not shying away from that, extra resources have been put in place and no matter what the cost, this new system will work and it is here to stay. If those who prefer to watch Arriva fail put in only half the effort to make it a success the world would be a better place.

Roberta Rizzo

Jul 10th 2011, 10:59

the public will be
 intolerant now of what it would readily though unhappily accept before - so true!

Mr Tony Camilleri

Jul 10th 2011, 10:59

Mr Graham Holme just wait and see.

Maltese people, boycott the foreign company and use the Minibus service that takes you from your home to your place of work and back for much less than NON-Arriva-L.

Help your own Maltese families and use services given by Maltese persons and boycott foreign ones.

Have a look at
http://www.maltastar.com/pages/r1/ms10dart.asp?a=15992
and see how it is a much better and cheaper service than NON-Arriva-L can ever offer.

Mr Joshua Attard

Jul 10th 2011, 10:56

theres much complain about the wages ... lets make it clear that they are on the low side , but they are still on average ! Many govt. workers have the same wage with the same working hours. And they are also just below the average yearly amount in Malta. If the drivers want a better wage , they put the prices up .. like abroad.. simple. And by the way I even applied as a driver part time.. I didn't get accepted because they said and I quote "We have chosen drivers with previous experience !!!!" i.e the old drivers ...

Mr Wally Vella-Zarb

Jul 10th 2011, 10:55

Mr Delia tells us that “conspiracy theorists could have a field day” when analysing the behaviour in recent weeks of some of the former ATP drivers contracted to Arriva. He then proceeds to elaborate on the most popular theory that there was a conspiracy by the drivers from “the old regime”(?). How convenient! I am very sorry but I do not buy this. As many of the people who worked for me in the past - on various projects – can tell you, the maxim is “If you tell me before, it might be a reason; if you tell me afterwards it is an excuse”.

If, as Mr Delia is quoted as saying, “Arriva began to express grave concern in the last two weeks of the preparation period that former ATP drivers who had committed to work on the new service were quitting in their dozens” why was this not made known and given the publicity that it deserves? Why were the alleged trouble-makers not weeded out immediately? Indeed, why are they not weeded out now?

The answer is simple: it would not solve much because it is not the major problem.

The fundamental problem is that the routing of the network appears to have been done on a flat piece of paper while sitting behind a desk. It has no correlation with real life, with what happens on the streets, with the destination and timing needs of people whose work starts early. Yes, by lengthening a route and using larger buses you will certainly have fuller occupancy and, in theory, more efficient use of assets. Unfortunately, you will also create a situation where the bus is already filled in the early stages of a trip with the result of leaving hundreds stranded on bus stops, thus compounding the situation, as seems to be happening on the majority of the routes that do manage to materialise. Add to this the ensuing and unnecessary sight-seeing “magical mystery tour” when all that the commuter wants is to get to work on time and the inevitable result can only be frustrated clients who are unlikely to hop onto a bus again if they have an alternative.

Talking at people from behind a desk that is placed upon a pedestal does not impress anyone. That the minister tells us how good the bendy buses are by ‘dropping’ the name of the maker while telling us that they have been “fully refurbished” (DISSETT, last week) does not impress. Many people are aware that several of these buses caught fire because of a broken pipe that allowed hot oil to spray over even hotter engine parts. Yes, the makers admitted that there was a fault in design and this was modified. However, the incidents happened in a city which is largely flat and where the ambient temperature is very cool, to put it mildly. It does not take much imagination to realise what is bound to happen if you expect these buses, fully loaded, trying to climb up a steep incline in Malta when the temperatures regularly rise above 30 degrees Celsius.

Whoever dreamed up this nightmare of a ‘service’ now needs to lick the egg off of his face and humbly admit that boys were tasked to do a man’s job. Don’t tell me WHY it does not work; tell me HOW you will make it deliver.

Mr FRANS H SAID

Jul 10th 2011, 10:55

Arriva had good credentials, so why did some bright sparks interfere with the routes. The fault is not with arrive but with the ministery and TM. How many of the "experts" trudy make regular use of public transport services?

There is huge gap between theory and practice. Admit you made a mistake and do not be stubborn.

The alternative would be for the bright sparks to resign and let lesser being solve the many problems

Albert Tabone

Jul 10th 2011, 10:53

There is no need for conspiracy theorist to loss time on Arriva’s predicament. .
Remember what happened to the Americans? They trained the same people that blew up their Towers. Arriva trained over a 100 ‘conspirators’, paid by the Government to relinquish the old bus service, what do you expect the signs were all there, the Lads were just one step ahead.

Mr FRANS H SAID

Jul 10th 2011, 10:51

You confused so much and tried to turn everythimng upside down. How can you expect drivers to work in those conditions?

For, what Austin thinks, nobody is aware of his final goal, you removed all the most popular routes so that people have to travel through points a, b c to z, to reach point y.

Admit that all this was a pie in the sky and hide in shame. There was not much wrong with the old system. At most it required new busses and disciplined drivers.

Many traditional areas are now without suitable service. Once again, re-install certain routes and remove others that do not seem to have any value.

Pauline Peterson

Jul 10th 2011, 10:50

I know it has been commented here recently, but two main problems (in my opinion) has been with the routes and the tickets.

Bring back the old routes - everyone got used to them, even returning tourists.

Have a simpler fare structure as before - it worked didn't it?

Work on the old system and just put the prices up. How simple.
Also please do not discriminate who pays what fare. What about Maltese born - living abroad - how do you class them regarding fares? Which category do we come into?

Like many have said, passengers don't want to go sightseeing (unless you are a tourist).
Just want to go from their village to Valletta for example.

Why has Birkirkara terminus ceased operating as it has been for many many years. We had buses to go to Valletta via Hamrun, Floriana and Valletta. As it is now it is very confusing, especially for the elderly and people with prams.

Please reconsider, while I wish Arriva success.

Generoso Seychell

Jul 10th 2011, 10:49

Meta taqra il kummenti tal Sur Delia,tahseb li ghandu ragun.Imma, alla imbeirek ma qal xejn dwar il rotot ? Min kien responsabbli ghal rotot il godda ? Rotta antika kienet tiehu 35 minuta,u issa il rotta il gdida trid tiehu siegha u nofs,tajjeb dan,Sur Delia ? Alura,dan progress ? Li tara xeba nies fix-xemx tizreg jistennew,hija tal misthija,meta suppost zdiedu il rottot ?Jiena naqbel ma min qal,illi min ghamel il rotot il godda,ma jirkibx tal-linja.
Jekkjoghbok,ftakru li fin nofs hemm l-intelligenza tan-nies.!!!!!!!!!

Ray Mifsud

Jul 10th 2011, 10:43

One of the big mistakes that TM did was not involving local people that knows what it involves to run such a service. Also Arriva took over with a complete change on routes and not implementing them gradually. Changes do not happen overnight.

It is easy to draw a plan in the office but you have to be realistic on the logistics that such a system intails. We already knew that the amount of the old buses was double what we have now. It is a pity that such a project started on the wrong foot.

One particular issue that still needs to be unswered is the amount of the new drivers not reporting for work. How many new drivers left so far? It also raise questions when we use to hear that ATP was not making money. Who do we believe? Is Arriva going to make money by exploiting employees? We still have to wait for the results if the situation of the drivers leaving the company persists. We will have two catagories of employees. Drivers from other countries doing the same job as locals, but with different conditions.

Just sincerely hope that the situation will be better before the scolastic year starts.

I just hope it does not take long to get things in order. This week an 80year old had to get three buses to get to Mater Dei. Tarxien to Paola then another bus to Floriana and then another one to hospital. I find it a little bit outragious

Mr Karmenu Dalli

Jul 10th 2011, 10:40

It is wishful thinking to write this off as a freak start.
Keep in mind that Arriva Malta is a mixture of the old and the new, born out of a marriage of convenience
after our Govt had paid more than 50 million euros from our taxes to buy out the old bus system.
Arriva Malta the consortium which was awarded Malta's public transport contract, included - and still includes, as far as is publicly known - Malta Land Transport plc as a partner in the consortium - a company made up of 193 bus owners/drivers out of 300 bus owners/drivers in the old system. So Arriva has no excuse of not knowing these people - they are its partners. Together with Arriva the parent company, and Tumas Group, the old bus owners were in the consortium from day 1. Malta Land Transport shareholders were even given the option of acquiring up to 10% of Arriva Malta shares, which they reportedly declined just a few weeks before Arriva took over. And taxpayers will be interested to know that Arriva Malta is getting 7.5 million euros per annum in subsidies from the Maltese public for its services.

Mr Matthew Degiorgio

Jul 10th 2011, 10:40

Proset..... kulhadd jigbed habel wiehed!!! :S

Peter Busuttil

Jul 10th 2011, 10:38

Mr Delia, you are pointing fingers at everybody and everything except at yourself and the ministry you work for. You had your chance and you messed up! Instead of moaning about the drivers and about this or about that, how about informing us what you're going to do about the sorry situation we commuters have found ourselves to be in through no fault of ours. Oh.....and who was that fool who messed up the bus routes? Will he/she be given the sack or is this person a blue-eyed boy or girl?

Mr Tony Camilleri

Jul 10th 2011, 10:38

Ħallina Manwel u tibqax twaħħal fix-xufiera Maltin.

Għax ma tgħidx li inthom kollha qabda inkompetenti li farraktu Malta u ġibtuna kolonja tal-barrani bil-barranin jagħmlu li jridu f'pajjiżna, imlejtuna bil-ħaddiema barranin u immigranti illegali li qed ikunu piż kbir fuqna u li qed jisirqu xogħol u ħobż il-ħaddiema Maltin u l-familja Maltin u jfarrkulhom il-pagi u d-drittijiet li l-ħaddiema Maltin kisbu b'sagrifiċċji kbar matul is-snin.

Inthom partit tal-kapitalisti biss u Alla qed iħallaskom ta' dak li għamiltu u qed tagħmlu lill-ħaddiema Maltin u lil Malta u għad irid iħallaskom ħafna u ħafna aktar talli sraqtu l-elezzjoni u kissirtu dak kollu li kellna. Xejn ma jiġikom tajjeb għax dak li tisraq ma tgawdiħx u mhxu se jkollkom mument ta' serħan jew tiġikom waħda tajba sakemm titilqu mill-Gvern.

Kellu bżonn kien Mintoff ħalli jħalli kumpanija barranija iġġib ħaddiema barranin nimflok ħaddiema Maltin jew iħalli barranin jikkmandaw pajjiżna bħal ma qed tħallu inthom li qed tħallu lill-ue u l-barranin jagħmlu.

Għax ma tgħidux li issa l-ue ordnatilkom li tgħollu l-etyà tal-pensjoni u inthom bħala lagħaqa tal-barrani se tobduha imma għax dalwaqt tasal l-elezzjoni qed tiċħdu meta hemm dokumernti uffiċjali ta' l-ue li juru kif GONEZI qabel li jgħolli l-età tal-pensjon.

Sewwa kien hemm min sejħilkom il-PARTIT SAĦTA TA' MALTA u dan ma kienx il-PL.

Tarcisio Bonello

Jul 10th 2011, 10:37

MHUX OVVJA LI SABUTTAGG = Isn't it obvious that it was Sabotage !!!
CAN'T YOU SEE ALSO THAT SOME PEOPLE WRITING IN THE TIMES ARE PRO THESE ORKS THAT HAVE ORCHESTRATED ALL THIS ... BUT WE'VE GOT NEWS FOR THEM .... ARRIVE IS HERE TO STAY.

Come on Arriva - The main hidden consideration for changing our national bus service was to get rid of the ORKS and their ORKFUMEMACHINES running the old one.

Thanks = because during week one these ORKS have been beaten.... now just get your house in order, there are many Good Maltese people and drivers out there.

Mr G Mangion

Jul 10th 2011, 10:37

Yes I Agree with Mr Delia ( bus drivers of attempting to sabotage Arriva’s operations so they can take over the bus system again ) And Everbody Know it so darn well, They are Only Harming the Maltese Public by there Shame full Actions and its about time to take all neccecary actions about those who are thinking that they are STILL the king of the roads in Malta. li Jiena kontra hu lil Dawk id - Drivers li qabdu u ma hargux Jaghmlu Xogholom mux talli jinaghtaw is - Sensja, Imma anqas ma jithallew jiresgitraw ghall Beneficcjju tal Qaghd !! Kull min Jirrifjta Xoghol bla Raguni Valida hekk issir... End of the Hooligans is here to Stay !
Arriva & TP Minister Welldone and Dont Give Up.....

G. Mangion

R. Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 10:35

Mr Delia, the main problem is the new routes and the time schdules your department introduced.
People cannot go to work in time because while before the first bus in the morning was at 5.30am, now is at 6.27am. When before in the morning buses were every 10 mins, than every 20 mins and around noon every 30 mins, now buses leaves every 30 mins all time and thus people are left waiting on the stages because they are full up like sardines. You can check the service at Siggiewi. Also most routes are taking more time because of new route introduce. May I ask if the persons who made these changes ever use the public transport? Please go back to the previous routes and to the Arrive company I say impove the conditions for the drivers and than the service can impove.

Mr V Mercieca

Jul 10th 2011, 10:33

I normally use my own car as I always considered public transport as unreliable.

I expected some problems with the new system and I hope and trust that now that a number of foreign drivers were brought over to support the system, the system would work well in the next week or two. I really hope that the system would work as efficiently as a system I am familiar – that of Luxembourg City, where you can plan your journey to the last minute.

From a personal perspective I want to start using the new transport system instead of using my car for the following reasons: (a) having a kartanzjan a day ticket would cost me only 50c which is cheaper to use the public transport than my car (b) going to Valletta may even save me some time as now I need to look for a parking space and walk considerable distance. Now with the public transport I can take a bus to Valletta, which journey takes a little longer than using my car, and then take the Valletta circular bus. If the connection is as accurate as that published, I would even save time form what I am spending now.

On the Arriva website I would like to see a more detailed journey planner. Now I only see San Gwann to Valletta, but I live on the outskirts of San Gwann and I would want to go to Lascaris in Valletta. How about Arriva giving us more specific journey planners, say leaving Stefanotis to Lascaris.

n grech

Jul 10th 2011, 10:32

The drivers knew the pay, they knew the conditions, the GWU had reached an agreement...so why did they take these jobs as drivers if they were not happy?

Maybe the truth is emerging at last.

Chris Xuereb

Jul 10th 2011, 10:31

Seems all fingers are pointing at Arriva......... If I may ask, who is behind the design of the new routes, is it Arriva or TM? If it's TM it would be very unfair to be pointing all fingers towards Arrvia, on the other hand if Arriva came up with the new routes I would think that they had some guidance from a local team. Could somebody clear this issue as it seems that up to a certain point the public is pointing fingers the wrong way!

Mr Tony Camilleri

Jul 10th 2011, 10:29

Ara, mela għadu ħaj Manwel?
Ħallina Manwel. Int ħsibt li x-xufiera huma bħal dawk il-qabda boloħ ta' l-Università li into kont organizzajt biex jipprotestaw kontra Varist u għarralek.

Sewwa għamlu għax il-ħaddiema Maltin m'humiex ilsiera tal-barranin.

Il-ħaddiema Maltin għandhom ukoll jaraw rapport li hemm illum fil-Kulladd f'paġna 4 kif hwienet qed jimpjegaw ħaddiema barranin, l-aktar Rumeni, Bulgari, Ċeki u Russi bis-soldi bla ktieb u qed imorru għalihom dritt l-ajruport u jeħduhom fil-flattijiet li għandhom is-sidien tal-ħwienet stess.

Dawn qed JSIIRQU xogħol il-ħaddiema Maltin u l-Ħobż tal-familji Maltin, imma għandna GVERN PULĊINELL li ma jaħmilx lill-ħaddiema Maltin u qiegħed iħalli dawn l-oxxenitajiet isiru.

Fejn huma tal-ETC? Għandkom id-dettalji kollha fejn qed isiru dawn l-abbużi. Meta se tmorru tagħmlu spezzjonijiet għall-għarrieda u tkeċċu lil dawn il-ħaddiema barranin u tagħlqu l-ħwienet ta' dawn is-sangisugi li qed iħaddmu ħaddiema barranin minflok ħaddiema Maltin?

Jj Zammit

Jul 10th 2011, 10:28

issa drivers hemm,u ir rotot li jridu jitrangaw,jien biex immur min post ghal iehor,fejn qabel kien johodli 35 minuta...issa qieghed johodli 1.55 minuta,mela mhux ghax neqsin mid drivers..ghax min ghamel is sistema tar rotot huwa lakbar injorant li il bambin ghad irrid johloq..ahjar tirrangaw ir rotot kif kienu qabel,mill toqodu twahlu fix xufiera ta qabel..in nies jaslu malajr fid destinazjoni tahhom iridu,mhux jghamlu xi 3 sighat site seeing....

Mario Hammett

Jul 10th 2011, 10:28

On what i saw on the roads last night (sat), i also do suspect some kind of sabotage is going on. A kind of 'go slow' thing or some drivers on duty just making a mountain out of a mole.
At 9.15pm yesterday on the regional road just out of Paceville an Arriva bus stopped in the middle of the road just because there was a tight squeeze because of a broken-down car on the side of the road. Hundreds of cars blocked and the whole area thrown into chaos until a traffic policeman came and the bus drove on.
At 10.30pm at Balluta Bay. Same situtation but this time two Arriva buses going in opposite directions. For some reason when these meet they stop. We didn't really get to what the reason was but these just stood there in the middle of the road (for at least 15min) blocking all traffic at this busy pass through on a Sat night where the whole population is out. The drivers showed no urgency.....reaction seemed to be a situation in a relaxed, country road in the middle of nowhere.
Is it unwillingness by the drivers to solve spontaneous problems? Do they not have an interest on the company's (or their own) reputation? Or Is it the company's operational arm that is failing? Or is it a combination of both.
Situation on our roads can become unbearable.

Gianfrancesco Buttigieg

Jul 10th 2011, 10:15

I'd say 80% is down to the drivers, 20% down to other reasons (IT system, people getting used to routes, the new routes themselves, etc).

For the last time, people - THE 35 EUROS ARE EXTRA COMPENSATION FOR WORKING A SPLIT-SHIFT not their salary for the day and they WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED 15 HOURS but 8 (or 9).

Please get your facts right.

Mr Anton Portelli

Jul 10th 2011, 10:11

Mr Delia the public wants to get from A to B in the shortest possible time. Some routes are taking twice the time it took before. How can he explain that a trip from Cirkewwa to Valetta before took about 1 hour now takes more than 2 hours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The use of bigger busses is not helping the service in Malta needs more smaller busses operating more frequently.

Mr Graham Holme

Jul 10th 2011, 10:02

No wonder this paltry 35 euros a day was excepted,seems these drivers had no intention of working for Arriva,what ever the pay structure.
Looks like a well orchestrated plan,to try bring Arriva to its knees.with no consideration for the welfare of their fellow countrymen,women.
A case of David taking on Goliath,Do they honestly believe Arriva will just pack up and leave Malta,hand the bus service back to them?You can hurl as many stones as you like from your slingshot,like trying to kill an Elephant with a pea shooter,at the end of the day,the ones with egg on their faces will be the drivers who tried to sabotage the travelling public of Malta

Mr Roderick Micallef

Jul 10th 2011, 10:02

Dear Mr.Delia / Minister Gatt and Arriva,
It is really useless to go around the bush and point your fingers at bus drivers, by doing this you are only showing to the general public that you are simply incompetent. You have scrapped a system which worked fine for years on end, you have employed bus drivers which you said you knew they were trouble makers, you have brought to Malta bigger buses that are actually too big for the Maltese roads, you have promised better routes for people to discover that most routes are actually longer and worse, you have promised a computerized route system which doesn't seem to work and NOW you are blaming the drivers for all of this?
In my eyes you have only achieved to do one thing. I believe the main target was to shift people from using their personal cars onto the new bus service. Well you have definitely succeeded in doing the exact same opposite and for this not only you are not taking the responsibility but you are now pointing fingers at the same people YOU employed. I still don't know whether I should laugh or cry, I am just thankful that I don't have to rely on the service you have been boasting about for so long!

A Cordina

Jul 10th 2011, 10:01

"A missed bus trip, long waiting times in the sun and confusion about
 what the route numbers really mean, were a fact of daily life in the old
 set-up and naturally never made the news..." Mr. Delia, so we should stop complaining? After decades, Maltese authorities had now the chance to introduce a system of public transport that resembled that of other European States. Nevertheless, after the pomp and circumstances, you failed to produce this! and now we have to be satisfied with what we got just because we weren't better before? Putting all the blame on the drivers will not circumvent your responsibility with regards to the bad planning of routes, unsuitable buses for the Maltese roads, mulfunctioning IT, etc.! Unfortunately accountability is still nowhere to be seen on this little island!

kathrin grech

Jul 10th 2011, 10:00

reading and hearing all about arriva, using arriva myself, up to now never in time! obviously because of lack of drivers.I am not surprised, rather dissapointed of arriva to pay actually the minimum wages in malta. this is so discusting of a company like this. I must say, to do this work for a pocket money one has to be very desperat, althought they new it by signing the contract.In fact, nobody ever should have signed this.in future, I will use my car again , like many others went back using their car. Piity ! but logic

Joe Brincat-LL.D

Jul 10th 2011, 09:58

And by the way, the old bus owners/drivers were nasty, sabotaging etc etc etc.
The Times online yesterday published a photo in conjunction with the statement that Arriva had contracted out certain trips. With the blessing of Transport Malta. And to whom did they contract out ?

According to that photo, Arriva re-introduced the yellow bus back ! But with a difference ! It had the logo of Arriva and the Arriva Number. Wonder of wonders how persons change by stickers, from being arrogant to becoming exemplary and up to the highest European standards.

And again Mr Delia, what about the routes ? Not even one word !

V. Cauchi

Jul 10th 2011, 09:58

Funny wanting to "educate" the public in one magic day, the 3rd July, about a new route system, fare structure and a high faluting organisation to which we were never prone.
I used to say from the days when the Bisazza street controversy ensued, that too much exactness (minutes and seconds) was being expected of the Maltese in these hot summer months and beyond, and that someone somewhere was not facing up to reality and was aiming too high.
The problem lies in a vicious circle orbiting money (the profit motive). To keep low fares (a politically wise motive) new structures (gimmicks still have to be settled by the EU) had to be invented, new buses bought (even to solve the pollution problem) to complement darned passenger statistics and avoid "waste", and new routes invented to take in as many passengers as possible at the lowest cost.
But let's stop moaning and think about unravelling the problem.
Let us think of a decent fare structure for all (with no distinctions as to foreigners) and a consequent decent wage for overworked drivers. Let us think of the fast, even if uncomfortable service, we had before where reliability counted.
What about swallowing all our high faluting words and deeds and go back to the old routes and frequencies and work up little by little from there until we get to the goals we aspire to, say over a period of 6 months? No interchanges and hours-long drives (please! absentee drivers do not have anything to do with this) but just some very common sense treating locals for what we are and not for what we desire ourselves to be (stop educating people by force), and taking into account the local road and traffic situations without wanting to create a new Rome in one magic day.

Mr Joe Gatt

Jul 10th 2011, 09:57

With the new buses and the old Routes I think Arriva would Fare much much Better.

Enough excuses, get your act right without further delays.

We pay to use the supposedly New and a Better Run Transport System, not to fix its problems.

Is this an attempt to water down and cushion what was promised by the Minister of Transport, ie that Arrive had better get their act together by FRIDAY past??

Or Else??

J. Sultana

Jul 10th 2011, 09:54

Mr. Delia, it was your boss that "forced" ARRIVA to employ the former drivers for at least 10 years. And in any case, if only 100 of the former drivers accepted to be employed by Arriva, then the situation is even more serious, because yesterday we were told that 180 drivers did not turn up, which means that not even new drivers were willing to work with Arriva - and if like what you are saying the exodus started two weeks BEFORE the launch, then Arriva should have already had a contingency plan in action. What you should have told us Mr. Delia is that even if all dirvers had turned up for work, the way you and the entity you work for have designed the new routes (in an attempt to cover everywhere with the least number of buses) is the true bottleneck of the system

And on their part ARRIVA should cut the crap and admit they failed. Stop messing up facts, fiction and figures.

Around 180 drivers did not turn up - so, is this a cummulative number of absences, or is it a total of drivers who at least once failed to turn up for work ?
Of these, how many failed to turn up for work due to the fact that they were informed for a total change in their working hours less than 12 hours before, or worse still, were listed on the roster but your staff did not manage to contact them and inform them of changes ?
And if half of the 180 were from the old system (which means 90 out of the chosen 100) and maybe these did not turn up for work simply for sabotage, because they are bullies, because they still think they can rule and decide themselves, etc and you only employed them because Dr. Gatt forced you to with the 10-year employment guarantee clause, how do you explain that the remainder of the 180 - another 90 (out of around 450) who were totally new recruits and probably didn`t have a better job also did not turn up ? There must be some root cause which you are either missing out or purposely ignoring, no ?(stress, fear of driving, poor conditions, deceiving contracts, etc etc).

Worse still, most of the problems are not driver related. If your buses keep getting stuck in streets where two of them can`t pass at the same time in opposite directions - such as Mrabat street, or have trouble going up Manwel Dimech Street when full with passengers, having a full complement of drivers wouldn`t solve it. If you keep getting stuck in Balluta , another 180 drivers wouldn`t solve it.

If you can`t even get an electronic display board working properly on a bus (what has an IT system to do with it ?? Can`t these be individually controlled from the display itself ??) it has nothing to do with 180 drivers missing, and the fact that people have to keep asking each bus driver where is the bus going to due to having only 3 x A4 papers on the windscreen is not helping either.

And have you ever heard about FLEXIBILTY ? I don`t think so, if even the most basic item in the service and which surely should be able to work on all routes designed for it - THE BUS - is designed to be unflexible due to the large stickers on the sides which show the routes. Having a bus in one part of Malta showing the destination on its side of routes which are not even from the same bus depot shows the short-sightedness of your fleet management department !! If buses would still need to be used where they are needed (and that`s how it should be), then these stickers should have never been done.

Now wonder that this lack of flexibilty is then also present with the drivers. Why should one group of drivers know "by heart" a small number of routes but then know absolutely nothing about the others ? And why should ARRIVA use this excuse to justify the delays ? Hello !! Its 2011 ! Have you ever heard of GPS devices ? Couldn`t a number of these , with the routes pre-stored on them be available ?

And what about the cleanliness of the buses ? Some of them were is a very shameful state from the exterior this morning on the St. Julian`s routes, as if they were stored in some building site or quarry.

Stop the excuses ARRIVA..... DELIVER !!

I bet that 90% of those who are defending Arriva and Austin Gatt in this thread have never boarded an Arriva bus because they find it easier to use their cars and drive through town centres and narrow streets as a shortcut rather than travelling using ARRIVA which even if it was to be punctual has seen point-to-point trip times increase by at least 50% on most destinations.

Charles J. Buttigieg

Jul 10th 2011, 09:54

None of these press statements would help to minimise the anger and frustrations of a disappointed public. Arriva’s plans went haywire, they were its plans-had they worked well they would have expected our applause, they failed miserably and it therefore follows that we have them to blame.

Like medical practitioners analysing an ailment, Arriva can only diagnose and cure its customer’s problems by first listening to their general complaints. The commuters are almost unanimous in that the new route system was uncalled for and is the major source of the holistic problem. Fix that and the battle is won. But of course Arriva’s top brass are too proud to admit such an unprecedented blunder and, furthermore, it would be too costly for them to correct their mistake. And now they expect us to push it in our pipes and smoke it but it’s not working and it wouldn’t until they eat some humble pie and put more money where their mouth is.

Mr Charles.C. Brown

Jul 10th 2011, 09:52

Well looking at the picture it explains it all, only in third world countries you see people jumping on each other to get into a bus!! The new bus service is and will remain a disater. Dr gonzi said in his speech that the maltese diserved a change to a better bus service. true but the people only wanted decent buses driven by decent drivers and nothing else such as the maddness of the new routes!!

Joseph Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 09:52

Sue the drivers!!!! Show them what a serious company looks like!

Gary Jameson

Jul 10th 2011, 09:51

“Among those adversities is bullying from ex-ATP drivers who tell them outright that they’re on a plan to scupper the Arriva project so they can take over the business again,” Mr Delia said.

If this is true, then this would appear to be pre-meditated industrial sabotage. In fact to try and bring down a key piece of public infrastructure could be viewed as a form of terrorism.

If Mr Delia has evidence that what he has said is actually happening, the government should be seeking to press charges and also sue to recover any compensation paid to ex-ATP individuals who took employment with Arriva.

Sue De Nym

Jul 10th 2011, 09:50

Arriva please stop blaming the no-show drivers. (How come the number keeps growing everyday by the way?)

The whole system is a sham and disgrace. The Maltese people are VERY generous and wouldn't have minded some teething problems, but not this!!

The whole fiasco is not because of the drivers..... perhaps the Minister for transport should have done some proper research?

http://travel.ciao.co.uk/Reviews/Arriva__94832/Start/0

Anthony Grech

Jul 10th 2011, 09:49

Adding the problem is the new introduced routes which some of them take more than 2.5hrs journey to arrive, taking an example the route from Valletta to Cirkewwa, its amazing now iyts better to take Ferry from Sa maison to Gozo, than take a bus to Cirkewwa

Joe Brincat-LL.D

Jul 10th 2011, 09:49

A good spin ! I have seen the previous comments, and it is already apparent that the blame is being put on the workers, who cannot accept the conditions any longer. We have it from another newspaper that Maltese drivers are working 54hours a week spread over 6 days at Euro 4.51.

But that is not the only problem.

Mr Delia did not in any way tackle the most fundamental problem. Routes. I do not know whether the journalist put the question to him about routes. But in his loquacity and pompousness, he seems to forget that most people are complaining about routes, delays and length of trips. Today I wanted to go to Cirkewwa. Previously I used to go by bus 45. The trip was 45 minutes. Now it is three hours. It is not a question of drivers, because on that bus there would be a driver !

It is not true that the old buses left late from their bays. In the old buses people did not bother about airconditioning because they could open the windows for fresh air. It is equally not true that all bus drivers were arrogant. They had a disciplinary committee (chaired by Dr Joseph Bonnici) which was not lenient at all.

Mr Delia, I repeat, should tell us about the root problem - the routes.

Mr jason mallia

Jul 10th 2011, 09:48

Il Hmar iwahhal f dembu !! Il Ministru hu responsabli u hu l persuna li falla fiha , ovjament Mr.Delia falla wkoll ghax kien Suppost Il Mohh wara kollox. ( X mohh dak eh !! ) . Li hemm komuni bejn dawn it tnejn hu li hadd minnhom mhu jerfa r responsabilita u jghid "FALLEJT" . Accountability Zero min fuq s isfel .
Ghalhekk qatt ma nimxu l quddiem hbieb .

Martin Busuttil

Jul 10th 2011, 09:48

Ok, let us say that what Mr. Delia is true.
But I wonder how can we scrap a system and routes that worked for this little island for over 100 years, and introduce another system and routes over night?
I for sure, as I said in other comments that I made, will never use these buses to go to work. Not because of the chaos that they have at the moment, but for the simple reason that I'm not prepared to around 1/3 of Malta to go from Paola to Naxxar in the morning and back in the afternoon, making a trip last almost twice the time it took until only few days ago when we had the so called 'shabby' buses.
I would save money using the buses, bus lose time. And time is money as well. Spending a total of 3 hours going and coming to/from work, on a little island like Malta, it doesn't work unless one has time to lose or spare, something which I don't have.
Don't take me wrong, YES WE NEEDED A CHANGE FROM THE OLD BUSES AND YES FROM 'SOME OF THE DRIVERS' AS WELL. But the ROUTES, no they worked fine for all those years.
Arriva should think about introducing the same routes (or almost), and not make people spend hours on the buses to go for point A to point B.
And while we're at it, kick who ever planed the routes with the funny name, when they knew that these don't work.
Maybe then and only then, I might consider using the buses and not using my car. And I'm sure that many out there share my same opinion.

j brincat

Jul 10th 2011, 09:45

The easiest thing is to blame it on the drivers. Not that they are angels, mind you.

This whole chaos is a result of the new routes. Who designed them did not know what he/she was doing. The happenings of last week is a confirmation of this.

But they are too proud to eat humble pie.

(jb)

Pierre Mangion

Jul 10th 2011, 09:42

Dear Mr. Delia and TM, putting the blame on the "old regime" drivers seems to be a very convenient resolution to your problem. nevertheless no-one from either Arriva nor your office has explained to us, the ones paying for this "dis-service", why the "old-regime" and newly trained drivers have ditched the system - especially those who did work most of the inaugural week. furthermore there seems to be more than meets the eye for this chaos. routes have been prolonged extensively, buses seem to have regular faults, bus stops and their signage not correct and at times the bus stop is just a mere pole. reading through many blogs, there seems to have been (and possibly still exist) problems with the ticketing machines.

this whole new project involved something bigger than just replacing old fuming buses with newer ones, it involved a change management process which involved two primary components - the commuters and the drivers. i seems to me apparent that this change management process has been discounted heavily, especially when it comes to the commuter. one cannot expect a commuter, just by having be given a pamphlet in the letter box, to be fully aware and knowledgeable of whole the system will work, especially when it comes to the idea of having prepaid tickets - surely it merited a more dedicated and intense information campaign. As for the drivers, i would like to believe that there is a valid reason for their departure or mutiny!!!

In most of the countries where i've used public transport, all of them worked around a prepaid ticket principle and none included any interaction between the commuters and the drivers. the driver is there to driver and give instructions when necessary and not to dish out tickets or check their validity.

last but not least, i am inclined to believe that with better forethought and planning, this new system would have had a much better start to the satisfaction of the commuters and its operator. we are still seeing works happening at bus stops, information systems not fully functional (thus leaving the commuters in the dark about the routes), technical problems with mechanics and IT systems, installation of ticketing machines, etc...

Fran Abela

Jul 10th 2011, 09:40

Mr. Delia - you should not have been 'surprised and disappointed'. Whoever had the bright idea of making Arriva employ the past bus drivers (admittedly not all of them are rogues) should have anticipated what would happen. One should also bear in mind that when there is a 'war' the generals should anticipate their enemies' moves, not one but two or three steps ahead, so they are ready to combat the inevitable. It does not take a University degree to anticipate that the past bus drivers are going to sabotage the system from day one. In my lifetime I have never come across employees who did not turn up from day one at their place of work. This must be a Guiness Book of Records situation.

joseph borg

Jul 10th 2011, 09:38

ghandhom jigu mressqa l-qorti l -xufiera kollha li ma attendewx ghax xol, u nistenna li jehlu multi kbar. Niskanta kif ghad baqa nies ta din il mentalita-li tghamel li trid bi hwejjeg haddiehor-. Nispera li l-eks xufiera ma jidrux iktar. Bizzejjed zammew lil malta lura ghal dawn is snin kollha. Il poplu hallas hafna flus biex issusidjum, u issa heles minnhom. Sahha sirtu sinjuru min fuq dahrna issa morru stahbew x'imkien.
J'alla l-arriva jirnexxiela iggib is-servizz kif mixtieq mill iktar fis possibli.
Malta diga hadet ir -ruh, meta m'ghadhux jidher l-scrap tal xarabanks jigru fit-trieq!!

Mr M Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 09:38

Arriva can get all the drivers it has from all around the world and still the Maltese public will not be satisfied with the service offered.

Why can't Mr. Delia see this ? Why won't he admit that the main cause of all this chaos is the way the routes were planned.

We do not want to go to University or Mater Dei every time we go on a bus !! Malta does not need to have interchanges. The distance between destinations is way too short for that. We do not want to take a sightseeing tour of the island every time we board a bus.

Each bus now serves so many localities that it is sure to leave Valletta full, even with the full complement of standing passengers, with the result that no bus is stopping at any bus stop. No one wants to waste 2 or 3 or 4 hours on a jurney that used to take at most 45 mins.

Change these routes from hell now , it is not fair to let the Maltese public wait 6 months for this.

Victor Vella

Jul 10th 2011, 09:38

When I heard Dr Austin Gatt declare that the drivers of the ex bus system were guaranteed employment for 10 years ie . Arriva's contract , I shuddered and said to myself this is one hell of a mistake.The goverment has allways tried to trust the drivers/owners of the old system, But they simply wanted to rule and do things in such a way that pleases and suits only them, they wanted to have a job but at the same time register for work, do you remember drivers simply disapearing from work and coming back especially I remember one on the cospicua route who used to leave the bus even with people on board and rush to the labour office to sign in, goverment employees leaving work to go on the busses, unlicenced drivers,owners sending thier sons as young as 17 to work on the routes, busses not fully compliant with safety standards,and they trusted them, for the new system, Let us remember one thing, Never ever trust these people, as after all they were going to be employed with a company who they consider stole thier cushy guaranteed job together with the ever increasing subsidy.

Mr Stephen Florian

Jul 10th 2011, 09:37

Empty excuses ! It was the minister's job to ensure that this would not happen. Maltese commuters are not to be treated as cattle. A timely resignation and apology by the Minister to the Maltese electorate would be to say the least adequate in 2011. Enough is enough. Gross incompetence has no justification.

Mr Joseph E Briffa

Jul 10th 2011, 09:35

@ Philip Grech ...I think we all would provided no driver/owners of the old buses were among the waiters.

Mr Stephen Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 09:30

This is normal practice with the current administration. Give the blame to others, as if on this issue Mr Delia has no blame especially in the route setup which has failed miserably. As is the norm in this country another government institution is run by amatures in an amaturistic way. Mr Delia step down because it is you and your agency which have failed miserably do not blame others for your failures.

C Muscat

Jul 10th 2011, 09:29

Ma nafx kif ghandu l-wicc jidher!! Disastru bhal dan..rotot hziena..karozzi jitilqu mimlijin....magni u biljetti ma jahdmux...nies bhali bl-eluf juzaw il-karozzi taghhom u jigi quddiem in-nies jipprova jiehu ragun...
tal-misthija...shame on you and your government.

Mr Tony Gatt

Jul 10th 2011, 09:28

Surprise, surprise! I've been saying for days these troglodytes (the old bus drivers) had an agenda. They probably think Arriva will walk away leaving the new buses for them to take up where they left off, whilst keeping their money.
Some hope!

Danika Vella

Jul 10th 2011, 09:21

How about Arrive suing those drivers that caused trouble? Maybe that's the only way they learn.

Bleh! Malta is still being bullied by bus drivers!! Unbelievable!

Mr David Willow

Jul 10th 2011, 09:17

simple answer to his problem - SACK those people who do not turn up for work - they are breaking their contract - Arriva may have initially broken theirs but they did correct it within a reasonable time - its clear to me and many others this is just the bully boy tactics of ex ATP......intentionally sabotaging the operation and annoying many customers so that Arriva get the blame....so they can ahve their little kingdoms abck whilst keeping the money for their old decrepit buses.....well if you malti want these guys back - go ahead and support them - I FOR ONE DONT...we deserve better and until these guys are weeded out you will get what the island deserves, rubbish sevice, rubbish routes and rubbish inconsiderate abusive drivers. COME ON MALTA YOU KNOW YOU DESERVE BETTER ITS TIME TO WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE.....

Mr carmel tonna

Jul 10th 2011, 09:02

The drivers' issue is a symptom of mismanagement.
Who on earth would have thought of scrapping overnight a 50/60 year old system which worked.
Knowing the employment problem locally, Arriva tried to exploit it by offering poor conditions to drivers. Not only that but liable to change at any moment - mela dawn bhejjem jew???
Who would have come up with such a silly network. It takes ages to get from one place to another even if things run smoothly.
And the roads...horrible....Bangladesh would be proud of itself.

Mr Anthony Borg

Jul 10th 2011, 08:54

>>>> 08:34 10/07/2011 <<<<

Quote "...has accused some former Public Transport Association (ATP) bus drivers of attempting to sabotage Arriva’s operations so they can take over the bus system again." Unquote

Why am I not surprised at this level of arrogance from our "dear ATP bus louts".

But even at this stage, I still do not put the blame of the present Public Transport chaos on them. Up to the last few weeks before the former bus system shut down, I often wondered, seeing the same despicable attitude of most of the ATP drivers, how could these people suddenly change into decent, well-mannered, DISCIPLINED Arriva bus drivers!!!? Not even a miracle can do that, let alone a fresh, new uniform! The blame is on those who did not listen to us in these columns, warning them well beforehand, that these bus drivers were beyond redemption.

These louts have been arrogant, ignorant and abusive all their lives ...and
(this is important...) NO ONE stood up to them! Transport Malta often encouraged the commuters to lodge reports and complaints fully AWARE that people cannot and do not have the time to report abuses that happened daily "by the dozen!"

Therefore, it is not too complicated for the authorities, especially the Police, to identify these trouble-makers, before they affront some foreign bus driver on route and God-knows what further action they have up their smelly sleeves.

Nip them now and please let us have a decent, civilised service.
Show these louts who is in charge and that the Maltese commuters have had enough of their arrogance! Good-riddance "my friends": we loved the old buses, but not those behind the wheel.

Mr Philip Grech

Jul 10th 2011, 08:43

would anyone trust Mr. Delia with the organisation of his wedding?

Charles Abela

Jul 10th 2011, 08:37

Was ARRIVA bound by some condition in their contract to employee all ex-employees? If this was the case, then it can only spell one thing they fell into the classical trap of having a Trojan horse thrown in their mist.
I am having the feeling that the negative attitude of some ex-employees (any category) from the “old regime” to use Mr. Bastow words; is not spontaneous, but something well premeditated and being well orchestrated