Regular users of Bus 41 are finding its service most unsatisfactory and often exasperating. The bus is meant to run every 30 minutes but there have been instances of missing trips making the wait an hour long or even more – often in the scorching sun!

People waiting along the route on bus stops have remained stranded for hours because bus 41 is so full that the driver does not even stop at all. I have been on bus 41 at about 12.30 p.m. at the Valletta bus terminus on a number of occasions and after waiting for a whole hour, it finally arrives and leaves the terminus packed with passengers – unable to take more standing passengers.

Bus 41 serves the Valletta to Ċirkewwa route and back. As from August 1 the unnecessary part of the Buġibba journey was stopped. What a relief! However, bus 41 is in high demand especially during the summer months when the population of St Paul’s Bay, Xemxija and Mellieħa Bay triples in number. More people cross over to Gozo and want to reach Ċirkewwa.

This route passes through Msida, Birkirkara centre, Lija and Mosta, picking up many passengers on their way to the popular summer resorts. But most do not get a chance of embarking as the bus is so full!

Dissatisfaction is increasing as the situation is not improving with the passage of time. Bus 42 to Tarġa Gap-Mosta and bus 43 to Lija, which run more often than bus 41, should be used as “back up” to bus 41 and be made to go as far as Ċirkewwa also, instead of terminating their journey at their present destination. In addition, bus 41 should run every 20 minutes at least instead of every 30.

Why should this bad service on Arriva bus 41 continue to exasperate people any longer? An improvement is urgently required.