Wanted: more conveniently located, less time-consuming bus routes (5)

As a Maltese living abroad, I have always enjoyed my visits to the island but this year my stay was marred by the introduction of the new bus service which made travelling by bus a nightmare.

After a couple of days of being misdirected as to which bus to catch, of finding that even the tourist information offices had no idea as to which bus went from where, of having to wait without shelter or shade and of being ferried to various parts of the island before finally reaching my intended destination, I abandoned the buses and resorted to taxis and to relying on the goodwill of relatives to drive me around.

Your interview with Arriva’s managing director Keith Bastow (July 17) focused on the problems created by those drivers who were deliberately sabotaging the system. It was an interesting and informative article but allowed Arriva to draw a veil over its own failings in having thrown out the baby with the bathwater.

The old yellow buses, though dearly loved by many tourists, were often uncomfortable, they created unacceptable levels of pollution and their drivers were not always the most considerate. But the routes provided easy and rapid access to most parts of the island, and the buses ran with commendable frequency.

By contrast, Arriva’s buses are air-conditioned, they have cut pollution considerably and their drivers are mostly well-trained and courteous, yet the changed routes and route numbers are confusing, the buses meander on magical mystery tours and they fail to provide the sort of direct services which were a feature of the old service.

Most of the problems have been created by Arriva’s desire to maximise profits at the expense of the passenger. Surely, a modern public transport system should provide comfortable, efficient, convenient and affordable transportation so as to attract travellers away from their private motor cars. Arriva’s greed in reducing the number and frequency of buses, amalgamating routes and introducing a disgraceful discriminatory fare system (something you will not find in other EU countries) and the collusion of Maltese transport officials and Minister Austin Gatt, have succeeded in replacing a smelly, uncomfortable but efficient service with a chaotic and unreliable system that is clearly not fit for the purpose.

There can be little doubt that the changeover has adversely affected the local economy and damaged Malta’s standing as an attractive tourist destination.

Perhaps if all MPs, civil servants and political employees were required by law to use only public transport there might be some incentive for them to ensure that the rest of the population and the island’s many visitors would be spared g the misery they are currently compelled to endure.