Bus drivers yesterday started working under a revised roster that reduces their number of split shifts and assigns each employee to a group of routes.
A spokesman for the public transport operator Arriva said the introduction of the new working roster “went smoothly”.
General Workers’ Union general secretary Tony Zarb agreed, saying the union had not received any complaints from drivers it represented.
The roster was the source of the chaotic launch of the Arriva bus service last month, when about 180 drivers did not report for work on the first day. This happened the day after a protest was held by drivers against working split shifts, claiming this was not in their agreement with the company.
The critical lack of drivers was exacerbated by a number of other problems, including buses breaking down and problems with the computer system. Following negotiations with the GWU, Arriva agreed to draw up new rosters that came into force yesterday.
“The new rosters reflect the feedback we have had from our drivers and the agreement we reached with the GWU. The number of split shifts has been reduced to usually no more than one a week... We have also allocated drivers to specific corridors and groups of routes, providing more focused service delivery,” the Arriva spokesman said.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Arriva also started implementing revised routes. The routes, designed by Transport Malta, have been heavily criticised by bus users as inefficient. They even prompted former Labour Justice Minister Joe Brincat to file a judicial protest objecting to “unreasonable” routes which, he claimed, had increased his travelling time threefold.
The routes were originally meant to be revised after six months but the authority and Arriva agreed to start work on them earlier.
Route 41 has now been made quicker for those travelling between Ċirkewwa and Valletta as it no longer stops at the Buġibba interchange or Qawra, instead passing along Parades Street, Mosta Road and Burmarrad Road. The Buġibba interchange will continue to be served by routes 11, 12, 31 and X1, Arriva said.
A new route 63 replaces route 112, providing a direct link between Qormi centre, Marsa park-and-ride, Ħamrun and Valletta every hour.
Direct links between Qrendi and Żurrieq to Valletta will be quicker as routes 71 and 72 now bypass the airport. Passengers in Żurrieq, Safi, Kirkop, Qrendi and Mqabba will still be able to use the 117 and 118 routes to go to the airport.