Don’t blame the drivers, it’s the service

In response to the Arriva bus driver’s letter (October 30), may I suggest that most of the negativity is not aimed at the drivers but at the Arriva service.

The condition of the buses themselves has noticeably deteriorated, with lighting diffusers and fascia panels missing, hanging off, or secured by ‘ties’ or sticky tape, exposed electrical wires, a lack of cleanliness and non-functioning air-conditioning, among other things.

I was particularly shocked by the dirt-blackened interior roof of one bus I recently travelled on, which, obviously, had not been cleaned for a very long time.

Surely, some of these problems put Arriva in breach of their contractual obligations.

At the present rate of deterioration, it may not be long before the Arriva buses have open door/window (if there are any remaining) ‘air-conditioning’ similar to that provided by their predecessors.

The long suffering public has waited enough and deserves a reasonable standard of cleanliness, comfort and punctuality, so get your act together Arriva.

If health and safety regulations dictate that doors must be closed while the buses are in motion then would Transport Malta please prevent buses being put into service during hot weather if their air-conditioning is not working? Alternatively, if the air-conditioning is not repaired within 24 hours, a temporary ban on standing passengers may be a sufficient incentive for Arriva to expedite repairs.

Finally, urgent enforcement of the law to prevent illegal parking would at least give the buses a chance of running on time.

Buses travelling the longer routes and being delayed by traffic obstructions create a vicious circle of overcrowding, passengers in transit standing for an hour and others being left waiting at bus stops.