Heavy traffic congestions, particularly in the south, hit hopes of a new start for the Arriva system yesterday, when most of the old direct bus routes to Valletta were restored.
We have to admit there are good points and we should say so
But the Transport Malta Controlling Unit claimed that, although the service was not problem-free, the feedback showed “a significant improvement” on most routes.
There were problems in Paola as early commuters had to wait at least 45 minutes before they could board a bus which was not packed.
At one point people were standing in the middle of the road trying to stop full buses from driving past. “I was at the bus stop at 6 a.m. but only managed to get on a bus at 6.45 a.m,” commuter Margaret Cachia from Paola told The Times.
“When we finally got on, it took us an hour, at a snail’s pace, to get to Valletta,” she said.
Frustrated commuters complain of long waits
Inside the bus, the air conditioning was off and it was so crowded that at one point a commuter was about to faint.
Traffic priority to buses did not seem to be working and traffic police by the Addolorata Cemetery did not seem to be improving the situation.
“I was hopeful things would improve with this last change, but once again I got to work 30 minutes late – no matter how early I try to leave,” Ms Cachia said.
Other people from the south, alighting at the Valletta terminus during the morning rush hour, were equally frustrated.
Commuters from Birżebbuġa, Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa all complained of long waiting times.
“I’ve become a nervous wreck in the morning with worry that I’m late for work,” said one commuter from Birżebbuġa.
Early commuters from Naxxar seem to be suffering the same fate as those in Paola. By the time buses reached Naxxar from Buġibba, they were already full.
Because the Arriva route goes through Iklin, the Birkirkara bypass and Mater Dei, it is taking people from Naxxar one hour to get to Valletta.
Travellers from other areas, such as Ħamrun, Sliema, Msida and Qormi were pleased with the changes, although some were still not sure how they were supposed to work.
“I caught the bus from Żebbuġ this morning and it still stopped at the Qormi park-and-ride – I thought the routes were supposed to be direct now?” said one.
Operations were running smoothly at the Valletta terminus – temporary bays had been put up around the Triton Fountain until the extension at the terminus to accommodate new routes is ready.
Arriva representatives were politely directing people to the appropriate bays.
At 8.45 a.m. a bus dispatcher at Bay 13 informed those waiting that a bus to Fgura was due in 10 minutes. With no bus in sight by 9 a.m. he returned and said: “I am sorry, I know I told you that the buses are running every 10 minutes but there is huge traffic congestion in Paola and all the buses are running late. I’m afraid, when it gets here, it gets here.”
One commuter waiting in the queue picked up on this and said: “Of course there is traffic congestion. Everyone is using their cars instead of buses!”
Some murmured in agreement but most waited patiently. When it arrived, the bus was 30 minutes late.
A wheelchair user was waiting at the front of the queue and a bus driver got down to help him, lowering the ramp.
The mood immediately altered and commuters started heaping praise on the drivers and the service: “This was impossible with the old buses. Even going up with a pushchair and a baby was a challenge,” said one.
“We have to admit there are good points and we should say so,” said another.
“Yes, like the fares, let’s face it, they are cheap. With 50c I can spend the day travelling around Malta,” chipped in a senior citizen.
“And they switched off the air conditioners now, just as well, the other day an elderly man sitting next to me peed in his pants because of the cold,” said another.
On the Paola 2 stop on the way to Fgura, commuters came up onto the bus all flustered with the heat.
Eusebio Bar, opposite the stop, has recently taken the opportunity to put out some tables and a huge sunshade.
In Fgura, on the Punika bus stop, the situation improved. There were no queues and buses drove past frequently. At Paola, a small group of people were waiting for the X2 to go to hospital but a bus marked Mater Dei Express stopped before the X2 scheduled time.
The route, however, turned out to be slightly misleading. It is not “express” – it stopped for more than 10 minutes at the Qormi park-and-ride and the destination was not Mater Dei but the University.
The driver was apologetic and told us we could walk it up to Mater Dei. An elderly nun, on her way to visit a patient at hospital, was bewildered and said: “That’s a long walk for my poor old legs. At Mater Dei some 40 people were waiting on the bus stop. “When it gets here, it gets here,” the Arriva dispatcher kept saying. He was helped by two representatives of Transport Malta. The wait was not long and after some minutes everyone was shepherded on a bus to Valletta.
On board the bus the topic was, yet again, Arriva. A woman rolled her eyes and said: “It’s as if we don’t know how to talk about anything else. I’m getting headaches everyday listening to all this bus talk.”