Commuters await rebirth of new bus service

Notwithstanding all the hype and the high expectations raised by the transport authorities, including Transport Minister Austin Gatt himself and his closest aides, the arrival of Arriva has so far mainly served to transport eager commuters from the frying pan into the fire. That could be a bit of an exaggeration because the new buses are comfortable, most of them have efficient air-conditioning systems and the big bulk of drivers are well-mannered and approachable.

Yet, the much-vaunted public transport reform has left many an exasperated commuter to the extent that quite a few of them are willing to admit they were better served by the old system. Now that too may be an exaggeration but the situation was so bad that Arriva was forced to set itself a deadline to provide a “fully-fledged service”. Ironically, the date it chose was September 11, the dreaded 9/11! That was yesterday but the real test starts today when people get back to work after the weekend and, more so, quite soon when normal everyday life gets back in top gear after the lazy days of summer.

There is a lot Arriva has to do to meet customers’ demands and expectations. It must ensure its buses run on time, be in perfect working condition (including the electronic gadgets on board) and maintain standards throughout.

However, to ensure the new bus service is what commuters were told to expect the effort must go beyond Arriva.

The biggest burden will, of course, fall on Transport Malta, which appears to have devised all the new routes and services... and made such a mess of it. Their political masters, the Transport Ministry, must also shoulder responsibility.

Most commuters fail to understand why routes that had been tried and tested had to be changed causing inconvenience to so many. That is not to say that some of the new services introduced did work but that is precisely what the reform should have done: add to what already existed and had worked to meet new demands and improve where felt necessary.

More coordination in the time of arriving and departing buses at interchanges is a must not to leave passengers stranded or waiting for very long periods of time. For the same reason, that is to avoid unreasonably long waiting times, the frequency of trips need also to be looked into, especially in certain areas and in given hours. This will also avoid the inconvenience of passengers waiting at bus stops unable to board because the bus is already full up when it arrives.

The police, especially the traffic section and officers stationed in the various districts across the island, as well as local and traffic wardens must do their bit too. It is evident that if the new wide buses get stuck in roads that is likely to cause tailbacks, road rage and more frustration, probably with the bus operators being blamed when, really, traffic management is beyond Arriva’s remit. So, the police and wardens need to ensure that anything that can cause such problems, like, say, double-parking, unauthorised works or obstructions, are cleared immediately. If they spot permanent features that can potentially cause obstructions when a bus is going through then they should inform their superiors who, in turn, would then take the matter up with Transport Malta.

For the sake of all, but especially commuters and, ultimately, public health, because more cars on the road mean more pollution, Arriva’s new beginning must work. Otherwise, its 9/11 will be a catastrophe.