Disappointment over delays, inconvenience of the new bus routes (3)

May I suggest the following mathematical problem forthe forthcoming Year 6benchmarking exam:

Mr Borg lives in Għaxaq. He works in Valletta. He wants to stop using his car to go to work. So he decides to start using the bus. He is being offered two options:

a) Bus A passes through Għaxaq every 20 minutes. It proceeds directly to Valletta, dropping off passengers on the way to Luqa near the One television station, and passengers on the way to Qormi/Żebbuġ/Siġġiewi at Blata l-Bajda. The whole trip takes 20 minutes.

b) Bus B passes through Għaxaq every 30 minutes. It goes to Bir id-Deheb. Mr Borg has to alight from the bus and wait between five to 10 minutes for another one, which he will be able to board if it is not full. On the way to Valletta it diverts to the Marsa Park and Ride, stops for another 10 to15 minutes behind a queue of other buses while, perhaps, a couple of passengers switch buses, and proceeds through Ħamrun to Valletta. The whole trip takes 55 to 60 minutes.

Option A has always been available, but so far Mr Borg has never bothered to use it. Option B is a new service. Using basic mathematical reasoning, can you decide which system Mr Borg is going to use?

Upon the obvious response to such a simple mathematical problem, I humbly suggest that if Transport Minister Austin Gatt, Transport Malta and Arriva want to encourage us to stop using our cars and opt for public transport, they should get rid of the new bus routes at the earliest and revert to the old tried and tested ones, perhaps with a few new north-south routes such as the X routes (which have to be more frequent, once University courses start in October).

This is just one example of the current mess-up in the new routes.

The same can be said for a good number of others.

The current system only wastes time and infuriates passengers who either arrive late or have to start their trip at least 40 minutes earlier, and causes more fuel wastage and pollution due to unnecessary diversions – a fact that is quite surprising considering that so much fuss was made about the short straightforward diversion through the Tigné Point tunnel.

If things stay as they are, rather than seeing an increase in public transport usage, we will witness a drop as more and more previous bus users will resort to the comfort of their cars.

May common sense prevail.