Bus route changes ‘a challenge’
Arriva managing director Keith Bastow: “We are not there yet but we are pretty damn close.”
Changes to the bus network that will be put into place next week are of “a significant nature” and could create some “challenges”, according to the public transport company’s top man.
“Ideally, we should be passing through a period of stability but November 6 will bring significant change for the company and its passengers,” Arriva managing director Keith Bastow says.
As the company braces itself for the latest route changes announced by the Transport Ministry, Mr Bastow says that physical space could be a problem at the Valletta terminus and the hospital.
The Valletta terminus was reduced in size when the new transport system was planned on the premise that the capital would no longer be a focal point for all bus routes. This will change on November 6 as all localities will now have a direct link to Valletta and the hospital.
Sitting at the boardroom table in his Qormi office, Mr Bastow rejects the argument that the latest changes are a return to the old system but acknowledges that the infrastructure at Valletta may not provide enough capacity to cope with more buses.
“Transport Malta will be providing the company with an additional three bays but Valletta is a very small, busy area and additional arrivals and departures could create some challenges,” Mr Bastow says.
A similar problem could arise at Mater Dei hospital, which also caters for the University.
“Given the higher number of services that will operate to Mater Dei from November 6 there could be a capacity problem if we are not careful.”
Arriva is in the process of changing its timetables and updating the computerised system as the November deadline approaches. The route changes will see some of the feeder services replaced by the new routes and 18 new bus stops will be erected.
But Mr Bastow insists route planning and infrastructural works are not Arriva’s responsibility.
“The contract had stipulated a review of the network after six months and it did not cater for any changes in between, however, we cooperated with Transport Malta and delivered the necessary changes irrespective of contractual obligations,” he says, adding that the original network gave consumers more travel options.
The November changes will be the fifth in four months since the new bus service run by Arriva started operating on July 3. The company has not had a period of stability but Mr Bastow says that at some point it will be necessary to analyse the system as a whole.
The significance of the forthcoming changes is also highlighted by the fact that Arriva will have six people coming over from the UK to help out in the transition. “Primarily, they (the UK staff) will complete the training of our supervisory staff and help us in the changeover that will happen on November 6.”
He shies away from discussing the level of compensation Arriva will ask for the network changes requested by Transport Malta. The government has already admitted that the changes will be partly borne by taxpayers in the form of a higher subsidy to cover the public service obligation.
“Discussions are ongoing,” Mr Bastow says, refusing to delve further into this matter.
Arriva will incur additional costs, including the subcontracting of some bus services, a temporary situation that Mr Bastow says will last a couple of months until the company employs more drivers and gets additional buses.
Turning to consumer complaints about long waiting times on bus stops, Mr Bastow partly blames the situation on traffic congestion and says that in Paola Square it sometimes takes 20 minutes for a bus to travel between two stops at peak time.
“Congestion dramatically hits the bus system badly since it sends timetables haywire,” he says, noting that the roadworks at Garibaldi Road in Luqa have altered traffic patterns in the area.
Mr Bastow says the contract makes no provisions for traffic congestion delays but adds that Arriva is discussing with Transport Malta to have more priority lanes for the bus service.
With the new route changes set to be in place two days after Parliament debates a motion of no confidence in Transport Minister Austin Gatt over his handling of the public transport reform, Mr Bastow remains confident that despite the flak, Arriva will be here for “the long term”.
“We are proud of what we have achieved despite the initial handicap of having a number of drivers not turn up for work. We are not there yet but we are pretty damn close.”
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Joseph Magro
Oct 27th 2011, 23:00
Actions speak louder than words.
Marcas O'Faodhagain
Oct 27th 2011, 00:51
I have spent many years visiting Malta and I used the old buses every time I visited, they were rarely late and I always knew would get to my destination as well as that I loved how they looked, they were history on wheels.
I haven't been to Malta since the new bus service started but I read all about them in this paper, this is nothing short of a National outrage, an absolute farce, I can only guess that corruption was behind the whole thing, we unfortunately have the same problem here in Ireland with our politicians. I suggest you bombard your so called representatives with emails and letters and phone calls if you can afford it, show them it is you who are calling the shots.
I will be back in Malta in the New Year but I think I may hire a car this time around.
Marcas
Reg Alfour
Oct 26th 2011, 11:04
Poor old Mr. Bastow. He looks like he has aged about 15 years in just four months! But then, we all have advanced skin damage now from standing in the hot sun at bus stops for far too long...
Is this sorry saga ever going to get properly sorted? Probably not. Another nail in our country's once proud heritage. The EU was never right for us. And now we will pay the price for ever more. This has been the saddest summer of my life.
ninu gale
Oct 25th 2011, 21:31
If it is true like what we have heard today that the New bus 92 will only go to Zonqor and Bus x5 will be only one an hour from Siberia and then also to Airport and Gudja and Ghaxaq, mela Arriva and Trasport Malta are trying to make Marsascala residents laugh. What they need to do is make the Bus 91 go from Zonqor and Siberia like the old Bus no 17 was, they are only complicating things and i will bet you 5 euros that they will not solve the problems for Marsascala. Even the night Bus N91 needs to go from Siberia, not have to stop atg Terminus and walk 30 minutes at 2 o'clock in the morning. Vera Mickey Mouse country. I challenge Dr Austin Gatt to publish information now before the Marsascala routes are going to be changed with a stupid excuse for a bus service.
A Caruana
Oct 26th 2011, 10:30
OMG - If what you're saying is true then really Transport Malta is showing us that they do not even know what they are doing nor even the needs and wants of residents of Marsascala. As you said Ninu residents in this densely populated area of Siberia which covers the near Peninsula of the Cerviola, Jerma and St Thomas bay areas currently does not even have a decent bus service. Before Arriva took over we had three buses an hour passing from Triq il Qaliet which is basicaly the major road in this area. We had Bus 17 which passed from Zonqor first and then from Siberia, then we had Bus 19 which passed like the current 91 but went up from Triq il-Qaliet, and we had Bus 20 which came from the Bypass ie Villabate and also went round the siberia area. Now like the little indians there are none! By these haphazard changes suggested by Transport Malta no improvement will be registered for Marsascala residents in this area and it is true the complaints will not stop. All TM needs to do ( and which will also save Arriva wasted trips with a paid driver wasting diesel) is to reduce Bus no 91 to one every 15 minutes and it goes to Zonqor from Zabbar, then from Marina street it goes toward Qaliet street and out from Gardiel out from the bypass towards tal Plier and Zabbar. The other 2 saved buses could be numbered 91b and follow the old route via Terminus and Zabbar. This way they wouldn't even need to emply 2 other buses ie 92 to Zonqor only and X5 to Siberia only. Also they should arrange the timings of the 135 to leave Marsascala at half past the hour and the 204 to leave on the hour and go also to Valletta and Mater Dei besides the University. This is not rocket science but simple common sense and we all wonder how come TM makes the decisions without yet again consulting residents who know their areas much more then those fools doing the routes! So TM is again proposing changes which will effect Marsascala residents without consulting us, is'nt this sheer arrogance or what? The Local Council should have been asked by TM to hold a public residents' meeting BEFORE these inventions like 92 and X5 are decided on the drawing board.
Mrs M. Attard
Oct 28th 2011, 08:34
As a Maqrsascala resident i demand to know why has there not been a public consultation with residents regarding these ' 2 'new' routes ie 92 and X5 ?? These routes have been announced without anyone knowing anything about them ( as happened with the troublesome 91) - let alone have discussed them in detail! What are their timings? What roads / areas will they pass from? Are we expected to take more of the same all the time?
Raymond Sacco
Oct 25th 2011, 21:15
it was so simple, so easy, and yet they made a whole mess out of it! all they had to do was keep the same routes, the same route numbers and change the buses and drivers! but of course, they had other things in mind. more profit. like all other companies who came to our 'rescue' under the pretext of privatisation, arriva had a magic formula: less buses + less drivers = longer routes but more profit! all the silly excuses which mr. bastow is coming up with are pathetic to say the least! the 5 million euros subsidy per annum which our government was so kind to grant them with was not enough! the greed has no limit. the bisazza street issue proves it all!
Mary Borg
Oct 25th 2011, 16:53
I am no expert however being a motorist like most other Maltese, we all know what it is like to drive on our roads. Our poor island is highly-dense and has a medieval road network with bumpy narrow roads. I am amazed by the fact that major roadworks take place simultaneously and tons of Euro are spent on roundabout flowers yet no one dares to build suitable flyovers say at Marsa-Paola junction near Addolorata or San Gwann-Gzira junction at Regional Road to alleviate heavy daily traffic. No wonder bus routes were poorly designed. Just imagine what would happen if someone comes up with the idea of building an underground train network!
Anthony Roberts
Oct 25th 2011, 16:27
I wonder if any of the Arriva personnel actually stayed in Malta for a period of time to assess the public transport situation before actually going ahead. Much planning was involved obviously, but I wonder just how much research was done. The routing that we had before July was brilliant, no trouble at all, even taking into consideration traffic congestion. It seems as if no research was done by any one who came from abroad to offer a service that just does not compete with the route service that we had before. No one has actually claimed that we only now have half the number of buses, which is also making the anytime table unworkable. If we had more buses, and the old routes, then things would just go back to normal.
Mark Jones
Oct 25th 2011, 19:17
The routing was not Arriva's responsibility. Transport Malta CLAIMED they had done extensive research. In the case of Hal-Ghaxaq, where most bus users boarded to get to Paola, MCAST and Valletta, the original routes that Arriva were told to operate left the village with only a feeder service to either the Airport or Marsascala.
Further problems have been caused in this area by TM's closure of several roads or junctions, which has greatly altered traffic flows and massively increased journey times.
Catherine Caruana
Oct 25th 2011, 15:27
It seems does Mr.Bastow cannot yet understand that with the old buses we commuters were always on time at our destination without needless waiting on stages and exaggerated needless lengths of bus routes.What we are expecting is a return to the old routes.Nothing more nothing less.Do you call that a challenge Mr.Bastow??!!!!!!!
Anthony Pace Gouder
Oct 25th 2011, 15:18
So now ARRIVA has 'a challenge' coming up ,and this after nearly FOUR SOLID MONTHS in operation with this blessed bus service still having PROBLEMS . Surely Transport Malta along with the Hon. Minister should be ASHAMED and held RESPONSABLE for they planned and spent Eu400,000 on so called Consultants . Plus the money spent on the station which is still unfinished .
Ever since the plans were first displayed , I had criticised the new PIANO bus terminus. Frankly I don't believe it was his Job! Two MONTHS AGO I had suggested that the Bus Bays around the Triton Fountain should be reinstated for more bus routes to make Valletta their HUB. Seems like its going to materialise !
Even Mr.Bestiow should be ashamed ,as he has already previously brought over personnel to help solve the situation. Now shamlessly he's adding another SIX . HE is even asking for more ROADS, STREETS BE CLEARED COMPLETELY OF PARKING TO MAKE WAY FOR BUS LANES !
The Hon.Minister was right when he said ''FROM TOMORROW (3rd July) the people of Malta and Gozo would experience nothing ever seen before ~! As I write this story has been removed so I can stop writing too !
Anthony Pace
Oct 25th 2011, 23:02
Very soon we'll be clearing the roads so that only Arriva trucks can drive on them. I said in July that they should be told to go home and I hope that it will materialise soon before Xmas as a present to the Arriva Group of companies.
Henry Mifsud
Oct 25th 2011, 14:44
Dear Mr. Bastow,
If you state that you are not there yet but you are pretty damn close; then the people would be damn foolish to believe you as all is indicating the exact opposite direction. Of course you admit that Bus route changes are ‘a challenge’. How can you possibly operate all the previous routes originating from and ending at the Valletta Terminus whilst also running other 'new' routes with practically half the number of buses which used to be on Malta's roads before Arriva took over? Blaming it on TM might be justified in as far as the routes are concerned but ultimately the commuters (customers) expect you to deliver And this cannot be done by a much fewer number of buses than is actually needed. Perhaps you were too greedy when you hastily entered such a contract by accepting the EUR 2 million bait (which no one seems to talk about) which was paid in advance by government for Arriva to take the challenge.
Quo Vadis indeed?
Lawrence Fenech
Oct 25th 2011, 14:23
"A challange" is to get somewhere on time by comuters.
Victor Buttigieg
Oct 25th 2011, 13:54
This is very worrying indeed. This is a clear indication that whoever came up with the new changes, has not come up with a holistic plan for the changes to work. This is disgraceful. I hope that we will not have one big traffic jam at the University come the 6th November. I think that it is about time that heads start to roll.
Mario Camilleri
Oct 25th 2011, 13:46
Mr Bastow, all the people wanted was value for the money spent. The bus service we had was good and compared to your service, it was the best we've had. The old service needed some refurbishment not a complete overhaul.
Moreover, it's us, the people who use the buses frequently. I reckon most probably you drive around in a Jaguar, Mercedes, a 4X4 Range Rover or any other luxurious vehicle, but surely not a bendy or Ariiva bus.
So give the people what the people want. This is called logic!
Brian Gatt
Oct 25th 2011, 13:16
Mr Bastow said: " The company has not had a period of stability but Mr Bastow says that at some point it will be necessary to analyse the system as a whole ".
You should have analysed the system as a whole before you even embarked on this enterprise. Malta is so small that its like a small pool, drop 1 stone and you will have organised ripples drop 4 stone you will have disorganised ripples, drop 50 stones and you will have complete chaos!!
To treat each route or area seperatly is like throwing 50 stones in small pool complete chaos is created
Mr Adrian Zahra
Oct 25th 2011, 13:00
Getting to destination on time is the biggest challenge of it all Mr Bastow. This morning spent 45 minutes on stage in hamrun to get to Valetta.
And by the way start by removing the bendy buses from all routes wherever you come across them it is a total chaotic traffic jam. As it seems that they do not even fit into our inner lane and end up occupying two one and a half lanes.
John Spiteri
Oct 25th 2011, 12:42
All the bendy buses are rjects from the UK
John Spiteri
Oct 25th 2011, 12:37
I dont want to go to hospital. I am not sick. I want to get to work on time!
Mr Neville A Cassar
Oct 25th 2011, 13:43
Spot on ! That is exactly what everyone wants!
James Dewar
Oct 25th 2011, 12:10
"Challenges" !! ? Mmm? Lets hope that Arriva rises to and overcomes these "challenges" more effectively than their original efforts on 03/07. However I suspect that Mr Bastow is clearly giving advance notice of potential chaos!
Francesca Abela
Oct 25th 2011, 12:04
Round and round it - here we go again1 Dear Mt Bastow , all the public wanted was for decent buses and drivers working the same routes people were happy with with maybe some new routes thrown in. The total mess created by Transport malta in changing the routes is not Arriva's fault, BUT it is Arriva's fault that buses do not even keep to the time slots and sometimes they dont even turn up at all! Take the case of Marsascala, there were 3 buses an hour to Valletta which served ALL parts of the village, there was also one bus an hour from all parts of the village to Cospicua, TM turned it all topsy turvy which resulted in the largest area of Siberia ie Cerviola, Jerma and San Tumas areas being left without a direct bus to Valletta UNLESS THEY WALKED 20-30 MINUTES TO THE TERMINUS! Now we are hearing about yet again new numbers like 92 and X5 whicch unless we have a service like before ie at least 3 buses an hour to Valletta is STILL going to FLOP! All you need to do is reduce the frequency of Bus no 91 to 4 an hour instead of 6 and have them go around the whole village direct to Valletta! Simple lno? Also the times of the 135 and 204 from Mater Dei / University are idiotic to say the least as 135 leaves at 58 mins past the hour and 204 leaves at 5 mins past the hour - common sense says it would be more practical to have them at least 30 mins apart as if people lose these then it'a a whole hour wait which will lead to more complaints.
pat muscat
Oct 25th 2011, 12:02
What we needed was the change of drivers and some buses-with the same routes and system; no more no less. We did not need (lol) Gatt's avant garde system!
Andrew Scicluna
Oct 25th 2011, 12:00
The problem is all about traffic managment ,our main roads are like funnels the transport cannot be efficient because of jammend traffic during rush hours.
Some allteations also needs to be made for most of the new routes so they will be shorter, and we need smaller busses for certain areas.
joseph mifsud
Oct 25th 2011, 11:39
ga beda jeqred fuq il venda tal belt li saret zghira.mhux ahjar sur bastow itemmu il kuntratt u titilqu.u ix xol tuh li min jaf jghamlu.
FRANS H SAID
Oct 25th 2011, 11:35
D0 Agostino and Bastow ever read these comments? Probably not as they do not loose a good night's sleep. Probably they are arrogant enough not to bother with what people think. What abou Gonzi PN, does he know what is going on? Why must he keep on insisting on defending El Supremo? Is he afraid of him (or of those who keep on pushing him forward?)
JOE INGUANEZ
Oct 25th 2011, 11:34
May I suggest to ARRIVA and TM:
Valleta SHOULD NOT BE A HUB..... EACH VILLAGE (or so) SHOULD BE THE HUB>>>>> THE BUS SHOULD LEAVE THE VILLAGE.... drop people on different STOPS..... then FINAL DROP OF PEOPLE WILL BE AT VALLETA>>> WHERE IT PICKS PEOPLE ON THEIR WAY TO THEIR VILLAGE..... ARRIVA MUST BE ON TIME!!!! ALWAYS !!!!! ISN'T THIS THE WAY AIRLINES WORK?
JOE INGUANEZ
FRANS H SAID
Oct 25th 2011, 11:43
very funny indeed
Victor Pulis
Oct 25th 2011, 11:51
Exactly. You just described Valletta as a hub with the villages/towns/cities as spokes. That's what's being suggested .
Frederick Gauci
Oct 25th 2011, 17:31
Mr. Joe Inguanez,
what an inteligent person you are and have a very good sense of humor. It is true that many people live in the clouds but you mentiones airlines, ON WHICH STOPS DO THEY STOP IN THE AIR ?????? As far as a know Arriva in Mlata operates only with buses and correct me if I am wrong tey have wheels and run on the ground not in the air, so they for sure find traffic.
FRANS H SAID
Oct 25th 2011, 11:10
so now it is offdicial. All this suffering is due to the Piano debacle, a project wanted by one person and imposed on all Malta at the cost of 400 million euro. And because of the infamous piano we are suffering:
1. The hole in the wall (contrary to the citadella in Gozo where the hole is being filled)
2. The removal of Pope Pius V street making access into Valletta an nightmare.
3. The removal of the tritons fountain
4. Distancing the terminus from the city.
5. Ruin of so many trees with more in the offing
6. The supposed cultural city will have bastions without a glorious gate
7. Narrowing a bridge that did not cause any problems
If malta was truly democratic the man would be dragged into the courts to answer for his arrogance and so much expense from the taxes paid by all of us.
He should receive a general interdect so as never to tamper with public administration any time in the futur.
Francesca Abela
Oct 25th 2011, 12:38
You forgot about 2 million spent on an iron bridge for the breakwater, now who eaxactly needed that?? That money could have been used for something more people could benefit from!
Ludgard Scicluna
Oct 25th 2011, 11:04
Arriva needs more organization. The next change will only last for a few time. ARRIVA NEEDS ONLY TO
INCREASE BUSES AND TRY TO KEEP THE EXACT SCHEDULES. And by the way Transport Authority must
change all the bus shelters from Glass shelters to more descent shelters, where one can be realy
protected from the sun and rain.
FRANS H SAID
Oct 25th 2011, 11:46
Sorry my dear, Arriva needs to give the people what they want, i.e. direct roures to Valletta and Floriana. The Maltese go to valletta, the tourist go all over Malta. But for tourist, who in any case are paying higher fares, there should be tourists buses to them on scenic tour of the island. In any case this is already being provided by the open buse. Thus forget the tourists and concentrate on the Maltese.
MALCOLM SEYCHELL
Oct 25th 2011, 11:00
Resign.
The management of Arriva should be just ashamed of itself. If the previous drivers used to do work in Valletta, Arriva should do it as well
If this guy really believes that the service is almost working fine, than he must be really living in space and not in Malta.
vincent a galea
Oct 25th 2011, 10:59
STOP BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH, MR BASTOW...
NEW BUSES - OLD ROUTES !!!!
Gary Jameson
Oct 25th 2011, 11:41
I think you will find that's what is, basically, happening after Nov 6.
Each locality will have a direct bus to Valletta and Mater Dei, which is why he is beating about the bush and saying that the capacity at these two places will be a challenge because they were reduced to cater for an interchange system
I suspect a lot of the feeder routes will be withdrawn to account for the changes which will probably leave many places without an inter-village service.
This will be the next big round of complaints and in the next six months we will be back to the interchanges, feeder routes, etc. And then six months later, back again and so on ad infinitum .....
Eleanor Pace
Oct 25th 2011, 10:43
we needed a service to fit the country not a country to fit in a service!
Mark Schembri
Oct 25th 2011, 10:34
Reading the comments below, I find there's a lot more common-sense than in the article itself, referring to Arriva's administrations' decisions. I would like to ask the editor of The Times to kindly present these comments to Mr. Bastow so that they won't be dumped like always. Hoping that Mr. Bastow reads them and acts accordingly.
edward ciantar
Oct 25th 2011, 10:19
Mr Bastow the congestions you mentioned have been created by the slow/bad service resulting in suffocating the roads with more private cars.
Stefan Enge
Oct 25th 2011, 10:12
How will they manage to transport the same amount of people with just 150 busses when before there have been 450 busses? No wonder that traffic at the moment is a desaster with jams at every corner!
Besides that. The bus terminus was removed so that the city gate looks "nicer". Without terminus the chaos in Valletta will remain the same.
Did someone ever calculated how much this chaos costs the economy? People everywhere late to work. More people taking cars wasting petrol and causing Jams. Tourists not coming back since it became impossible to explore Malta by bus, etc....
Joseph E Briffa
Oct 25th 2011, 11:06
The number of buses is practically the same as before July. Judging by the number plate and assuming that the numbers are consecutive, there must be some 250 Arriva buses which is equivalent to the number of old buses on any one day; though there were over 500 old buses they were in service on alternate days.
Gary Jameson
Oct 25th 2011, 11:47
No, I believe the old system had around 320 buses on the road every day out of a pool of 500. Arriva have 264 according to their website, not 150 (how did you work out that number?)
The number plate theory is wrong as some Arriva buses have plates with starting with 3 or 4. By that consecutive logic, they have over 400 buses which is more than enough.
Vincent Cassar
Oct 25th 2011, 10:09
Franco Debono take note. Oh! I just forgot! Your master shut you up.
John Farrugia
Oct 25th 2011, 10:09
Mr .Keith Bastow do you know where is Gudja and Ghaxaq,WE WANT A DIRECT BUS AS BEFORE,
R ferriggi
Oct 25th 2011, 10:02
why are these people bending over backwards to give the impression that ''this is not a return to the old routes??
dont tell me the old routes were all wrong!!!
another thing.
the long buses are a complete failure. get rid of them and replace them with smaller buses. isnt this a little bit too obvious??
a friend from the UK heard that old arriva buses from the UK have been brought here.
so much for ''new'' and ''clean'' and that famous much-abused word '' state of the art''.
j brincat
Oct 25th 2011, 10:02
Going and coming by Arriva has not only become a challenge but a nightmare!
Valletta was as busy, even before the advent of Arriva.
Let's keep our fingers crossed this time round.
(jb)
mark bonavia
Oct 25th 2011, 09:49
bis servizz l antik kellna x xufiera hlief jidghu ma kienux issa dik il problema giet solvuta izda minflok issa il passiggieri qed jidghu ghax is- servizz tal biki
A. Borg
Oct 25th 2011, 10:09
LOL you made my day.
JOSEPHINE BORG
Oct 25th 2011, 11:18
TICCAJTA !!!!!!
J Farrugia
Oct 25th 2011, 09:48
Get rid of the stupid oversized buses and things might get easier, i'm fed up getting stuck because of these monsters on our roads, i pay my license fee as well so i have the same rights.
V. Cauchi
Oct 25th 2011, 09:40
Three simple questions related to the small terminus at Valletta (never mind the flak, but for the sake of some brainstorming):
Is the War Memorial so necessary to be there?
Could inroads be made into the green patch surrounding the Air Force memorial, possibly relocating the memorial?
Could the Tritons Fountain be relocated in some other area outside Floriana?
Saviour Scerri
Oct 25th 2011, 09:40
Mr.Pace .......................... the best thing for you is to get updated on the buses situation. You seem to be the only one in Malta that doesn't know that Arriva had and has nothing to do with the bus routes, which seem to be the biggest problem. The routes were formulated by some Maltese, being Minister of Civil Servant (cwiec) of which you seem to be one. Also for your info.......... in 1979 Malta said good bye to the British armed forces not the British ( another cucata). Whilst it is true that Arriva get some 4 million Euros the old system used to get 9 million and the service provided wasn't much better than the present one ( as a packet).
Jo Meli
Oct 25th 2011, 09:39
Can the unutilized LEFT-HAND-SIDE of the ex Valletta Bus Terminus be utilised as the Dropping for Commuters as the present one, near Kristu Re Monument, is not ideal one - it is a clavary for the elderly to reach Valletta in the HEAT of Summer and now, soon, the RAIN and COLD of the Winter ?
Am sure common sence will prevail.
Stefan Enge
Oct 25th 2011, 10:14
Are you real? That free space is there so the new city gate looks nicer......
FRANS H SAID
Oct 25th 2011, 11:26
@ Stefan Enge
What City Gate? There is only a hole. Finally who cares about it being nicer if we are all suffering. Piano was the worse thing that ever happened to Malta. In Rome there was a saying, "What the Barbarians did not ruin, it was ruined by Barberelli." And in Malta we can say: "What was not ruined by the lufvaffe was ruined by the suppost cultural Nationalists."
Victor Cordina
Oct 25th 2011, 09:36
Sorry I still think that its not the routes that are the problem. It is the non sticking to the timetables that is the problem. This morning no bus (81 and 84) turned up at Zejtun between 7.25 and 8.30 am.
Anthony Pace
Oct 25th 2011, 09:35
Bus routes are a challenge because Arriva and TM did not keep the old bus routes. Return the old bus routes and use the Tritons as the hub and things might start to fall in place. Then think of replacing the big buses with ones designed for our roads!!!
Franco Abela
Oct 25th 2011, 09:34
"Mr Bastow partly blames the situation on traffic congestion"
TRAFFIC HAS INCREASED ONLY DUE TO AN INEFFICIENT BUS SERVICE... This has become a viscous circle.
ALSO ATTENTION TRAFFIC POLICE..... WHERE ARE YOU?!?!
Joseph E Briffa
Oct 25th 2011, 10:01
The traffic congestion that Mr Bastow is speaking about is in the Paola area and is due to the diversion of traffic because of works on the Garibaldi Road. Nobody can deny this. Even before this diversion was put in place there were always traffic jams in the Paola square particularly during the rush hours. I doubt very much whether the number of cars on the road has increased at all since the introduction of the new transport system. I remember it always took me some 40 minutes to drive from San Gwann to Valetta through Gzira and Msida between 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m. on weekdays from October to June because of school buses and this was before July 2011. .
l vella
Oct 25th 2011, 09:29
'a challenge' ? why didnt they do their homework before burdening us with their system ?'
carmel callus
Oct 25th 2011, 09:25
May I ask Mr Bastow:
1) why is it that the Rabat routes (51,52 and 53) and route 54 remain a big problem even early in the morning when there is absolutely no traffic congestion on the road?
2) why is it that passengers still have to wait for 20 minutes or more early in morning (6 to 7 a.m.) for a Rabat route bus toward Valletta when buses should be leaving Rabat/Dingli/Mtarfa every 10 minutes?
3) Why use only two buses to cover the half-hourly services between Attard and Valletta (route 54) when it is a well-known act that the one-way trip takes more than 30 minutes even when road are clear from traffic (in fact during rush hour it takes such a bus nearly 10 minutes to manouvre through the former bus terminus in Birkirkara)?
4) Why is it that the route 54 bus seldom turns up at the Valletta exchange in the afternoon/early evening?
5) Why is it that the route 54 bus is using bay 15 (Zurrieq/Qrendi) when it would make more sense for it to use bay 8 (that used by route 43)?
V. Cauchi
Oct 25th 2011, 09:17
The company intends getting additional buses.
I hope these buses will be of a much smaller kind and that possibly a deal could be made to get rid of most of the big buses and substitute them with smaller ones.
Paul Micallef
Oct 25th 2011, 09:13
Why not use the half where the toilets are???
Anthony Pace
Oct 25th 2011, 09:13
The best thing this man can do is to leave our islands and let the bus service be run by the Maltese who know best what we need. I thought we said good-bye to the British on 31st March 1979.
Anyone would have known that the hub at Valletta is too small and that a return to the Tritons is necessary.
We should stop giving money to this company and show them the doorstep together with their big buses which are continually causing accidents in our narrow roads.
Liam Kelly
Oct 25th 2011, 09:36
Maltese who know whats best? You mean the likes of Austin Gatt? Or the geniouses at TM?
Joseph Micallef
Oct 25th 2011, 10:00
Do you maybe mean such Maltese as the rowdy, shabby, and generally impolite ex-bus drivers? Having said good bye to the British on 31st March has nothing to do with it Mr! That was good bye to the British Military base not good bye to the British - I believe you can understand the difference can't you?!
Charles Micallef
Oct 25th 2011, 09:11
Today's Prayer
Oh dear Lord forgive as they do not seem to know what they are doing!
Now the Valletta Bus Treminus is too small!
Joseph E Briffa
Oct 25th 2011, 09:45
@ Charles Micallef.....Isn't it obvious that the Valetta Bus Terminus is too small now that it has benn shifted to the Bastion area?
Brian Gatt
Oct 25th 2011, 09:51
Amen
Charles Micallef
Oct 25th 2011, 11:58
@ Joseph Briffa
It seems that you are defending the indefensible!
FRANS H SAID
Oct 25th 2011, 09:08
The challenge is to persist in the mixup imposed on Arriva. GIVE us ALL the old routes. Bus service is for the people and not for a few who think big.
Valletta terminus - finaly there's the rub - it was Agostino idea for a Piano which was doomed from the very begining. Valletta is still a hub with the administration and the lawcourts. The bus service is primarily for the maltese. The funny routes were for the tourists who never complained in the past except for the arrogant drivers.
Wake up man and listen to the people. I hope that routes 49 and 58 will now pass through Bordino Street as in the past.
Jo Meli
Oct 25th 2011, 09:35
Finally a FURJANIZ admits that the Triton Fountin is in Valletta !
As for his comments re Arriva I am in total agreement.
Kif int Ziju Franz ???
FRANS H SAID
Oct 25th 2011, 11:30
Jo Meli
I have done nothing of the sort. Cab you quote exactly what I said? Anthing outside the ditch is in Floriana. Why must Valletta want to grow bigger. They can fill in the Grand Harbour and Marsamxetto harbour. Why must people never be satisfied with what they've got? And then they are saying that Valletta should be the cultural capital. May I suggest that Valletta will be nominated as the spite and hatred capital ful of dilapidated buildings that no govt wants to upgrade?
Anthony Pace
Oct 25th 2011, 09:07
Why don't you eliminate some useless routes like the circular one around Ta' Paris and Swattar and B'Kara which hardly has any passengers on it most of the time. Senseless waste os resources when the B'Kara Bypass and Msida Valley Road stops are only 500 yds away.
Claire Busuttil
Oct 25th 2011, 09:01
@Bastow -Pretty damn close??!??!?!?
what makes you so sure??! I think that the service is getting even worse on some routes, for example the Sliema/St julians area!
Edgar S. Galea
Oct 25th 2011, 09:01
In major roads, the inner lane, the one next to the kerb, should be reserved as a bus lane and also the other vehicles that presently use the established bus lanes; the outer lane for all other vehicles. In this manner, Arriva would be in a position to stick to the stipulated time.
Giovanni Rizzo
Oct 25th 2011, 10:17
Agree 100%. The inner lane leaving Valletta in St.Anne Street in Floriana should be more clear for the buses rather then used by cars during most of the day.
Paul Sammut
Oct 25th 2011, 08:59
Nothing to be proud of Mr Bastow! This morning we had literally no buses at Dingli - bus 52 never came. Then at one point around 8.35 am a small mini bus came at the bus stop near the police station to pick up the people on stage and take them to Rabat. The driver said that it was not passing from Buskett, its proper route - it only came for those who where on that stage to take them to Rabat - a clear sign that Bus 52 is not operating today to Dingli. By the way - you staff is taking us for a ride - not with the Arriva obviously - since my email complaints have never been responded. What a shame !
Alex Falzon
Oct 25th 2011, 08:51
That is what a competent does. Any private company wants to succeed in all it does and by time Arriva will does that
Michael Grech
Oct 25th 2011, 07:25
'Arriva will be introducing random alcohol and drug tests for its employees ...' They should start with some in the top echelons given the incompentence, as well as the banility and irrisponsibility of certain statements.
Peter Busuttil
Oct 25th 2011, 08:56
LOL
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