(Adds Arriva statement)

No one was injured in a crash between an Arriva bus and a van in Bugibba this morning but the road was blocked for at least two hours making it impossible for an ambulance to pass.

The ambulance had been called for a woman who fainted, who had to be picked up by the paramedics who took the woman to the ambulance on foot.

In a statement Arriva said the accident was cause by a van which was double parked in the same road with a side door left open.

Issues of illegal parking, it said, were problems its drivers had to face every day. and badly parked cars not only blocked buses but also other vehicles, including ambulances.

It said that as soon as its driver reported the accident to its Control Room, Arriva personnel were sent on site and buses where diverted through alternate routes, except for two that were already there.

The police and other authorities, it said, were immediately informed.

Arriva said it regretted the incident, but wanted to point out that like all other vehicles on the road it was subject to the law, and its driver and bus had to wait for the authorities to clear the area.