Arriva sees no need for more buses to improve reliability

Mary Tanti

Nov 22nd 2012, 23:37

A public transport company whose main problems are punctuality and reliability might as well pack up and shut shop because being punctual and raliable is what transport is about! Is there no shame!

Jurgen Farrugia

Nov 22nd 2012, 11:47

Boy, am I glad that we are hiving them €10,000,000 a year in subsidies to pay their delightful experts

Michael Schembri

Nov 22nd 2012, 07:30

Speaking of reliability: Last night (21-11-12) at 2150 hrs I was waiting for the last bus to Marsaskala at their No 13 bus port, waited till 2315 and nothing happened, no bus, those responsible never cared to have a last look at some customers who were stranded there like me. Reliability? Do you call that so? I don't think so, Arriva is not encouraging so private cars will do better job!

Judy Vassallo

Nov 22nd 2012, 03:37

Something needs to be done about the buses. Arriva's name is being splashed all over the world for its bad running bus service in Malta.Not good advertising to get tourists to visit this beautiful country.

Chris Debono

Nov 21st 2012, 23:35

I found his statement to be both arrogant and disillusioned. Who is he fooling?

John Spiteri Jones

Nov 21st 2012, 22:44

Arriva should make sure first and formost that buses comes and leave their bays on the time indicated. whats the use of having a timetable if you have to wait sometimes an hour after the time indicated. and im talking about the Valletta station here. ARRIVA MANAGERS PLEASE NOTE!

Joseph Borg

Nov 21st 2012, 22:02

We DEMAND solid results and we demand them NOW! Otherwise just get out and leave!

James Dewar

Nov 21st 2012, 20:38

" We are starting to deliver". If their delivery strategy is 17 months behind schedule then little surprise that the buses don't run on time!!

S. Azzopardi

Nov 21st 2012, 18:41

Shame on you Arriva. If you can't see that you need more buses than you need quite a thick pair of lenses. At this point will TM adhere to the conditions of their ultimatum and increase the buses themselves? If they don't then TM will loose face more than it has done already by allowing our transport system to fall into shambles.

Carmel Zammit

Nov 21st 2012, 18:24

If Mr. Hall really believes that the "main problems were punctuality, reliability and image" then I am not at all surprised by the poor quality of service being provided. Last Friday the 209 bus leaving Siggiewi at 06:30 to Mater Dei was packed like sardines. It happened to be a small bus and it had more than 25 standing passengers. And what about the IT system? When is it expected to function?

Ray Buhagiar

Nov 21st 2012, 18:06

Mr Hall start delivering or leave.

Lawrence Hallett

Nov 21st 2012, 17:51

when did mr.hall last use a bus?

Anthony Borg

Nov 21st 2012, 17:39

Three CEO's in just 18 months!
That tells a lot about the setup of this company.

It was chosen because it was the cheapest.
Arriva cannot afford to put more buses on its network.

Alfie Lewis

Nov 21st 2012, 17:15

One question I d like to ask to Mr.Hall, because of all these delays in buses how much is the economy of Malta is loosing due to people arriving late to work or even worst not arriving at all? Now that food for thought

Mark J. Magri

Nov 21st 2012, 16:59

Arriva and non-Arriva and I with my wife remained standing-in-waiting for a bus to arrive and picks us in the high temperatures without any shelter on the mid-July this year from 3.00pm till 4.30pm at Hamrun.
Nice and accurate service indeed! 100points!

Simon Polidano

Nov 21st 2012, 16:58

I use Arriva daily... these are all excuses... they needs to pull their socks up!

I laughed all the way through this article...! lol

Joseph Cuschieri

Nov 21st 2012, 16:53

So now I hope that the route 52 will be 100% improved. I've had enough arriving at home at 5.45p.m. leaving my work place in Valletta at 4.00p.m. It's a shame!!!!!!!!!!!!

stephen portelli

Nov 21st 2012, 16:03

dear all listed ,

today no arriva bus accidents this is a record. at least they are improving com on lets give them some more time

Joseph Barbara

Nov 21st 2012, 15:50

Nice to have a look at "Buses should run on time from Monday" dated September 30, 2011. They still cannot make it.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110910/local/arriva.384145

Alfie Lewis

Nov 21st 2012, 15:46

The word 'time' is not in Arriva's vocabulary. As far as I am concerned Mr. Hall might as well stayed at home this morning instead of going on TVAM,because he said nothing new. Try and get a bus from GZIRA TO vALLETTA ,I always have to wait app between 20 or 30 minutes, before the servicv was very 2 or3 minutes

Joseph Barbara

Nov 21st 2012, 15:44

It has been already a year and a half since arriva was supposed to give an efficient transport service in Malta. How much longer is it going to take to get it right. I feel that in Malta the everyone's motto is Anything goes for Malta starting with ministers, parliament, enterprises, local councils and individual Maltese. No professionalism just money making.

Angelo Polidano

Nov 21st 2012, 14:32

I see T.M. made Arriva's executives tremble in their shoes and Mr. Hall losing sleep by the Harsh Ultimatum that they gave them. We should admit that our authorities have no teeth when it comes to it. If we had serious authorities Mr. Hall and friends should have been marched to the airport to go back where they came from on the double long t Better still send back them in one of the bendy busese.

Ms Josephine Campbell

Nov 21st 2012, 14:22

What about us the Route 55 ? We need a route that takes us to Valletta through Birkirkara and Msida. Give us back our 43. The 43 should pass and go into Lija to and from Valletta until the Belvedere Tower. It was one of the first assigned routes and was taken from us. Once an hour, the 55 is of no avail to us.

James Tyrrell

Nov 21st 2012, 14:17

I don't think Arriva have a clue what they are talking about. Nor indeed do TM have a clue. They seem to be involved in an exercise of passing the buck from one to the other when the fact of the matter is that the so called transport reform was not well enough thought out to begin with. As for Richard Hall stating that bendy busses are great for Malta, is he some form of idiot?

Godfrey Camilleri

Nov 21st 2012, 14:14

An area that surely needs improvement is driver discipline to respect the timings at every bus stop. Route 51, 52 and 53 usually give a good service but their timings, which are supposed to be at 10 min intervals, is often not observed, seeing the three buses trailing each other. Drivers must wait at bus stops if they are ahead of schedule.

maria aquilina

Nov 21st 2012, 14:04

Bendy buses carry a big number of people,but they take longer to arrive at destination because the voyages are longer .All this at the cost of the passengers,because what usually takes 30 minutes now it takes more than an hour.So to be cost effective and more profitable for Arriva it is costing us time.Time means money.

Bill Khan

Nov 21st 2012, 13:42

If they have all the buses they need why the unreliability ? is it something to do with morale, motivation and teamwork and culture at Arriva.

Alan Davies

Nov 21st 2012, 13:35

When I board a bus I would prefer to travel from point A to arrive at point B on a journey as quickly as traffic conditions allow. I am now taken on a sightseeing tour of Malta almost doubling the journey time. Arriva doesn't need extra buses, it needs more direct routes. It worked before, so it can work again. That's why commuters are still using their cars and causing traffic jams.

Maurice Cini

Nov 21st 2012, 13:29

Can Mr Hall explain why that when a bus stops for some reason,we the commuters on board, have to wait at the nearest bus stop for the next schedule bus to come. That is waiting for another 30 minutes.There should be arrangements so that if a bus stops another one will come to continue the journey.I am referring to route no 3. The service in times Arriva has not yet started,after 16 months!!

m. borg (slm)

Nov 21st 2012, 13:29

Just a couple of hours ago I saw a bendy bus being towed in Marsa.

carmel cassar

Nov 21st 2012, 13:24

Blablabla. We didn't ask you for lip service but only to deliver, which up to now you did not. If the service improves on the same line as your lip service we will be more then happy. About the low level of complaints do you count the telephone calls that are never answered? One last thing, the commuters first interest is to get from A to B in reasonable time then they bother with the rest.

Joanne Micallef

Nov 21st 2012, 13:19

The system is not working, nobody cares what Arriva think as facts speak for themselves. This new bus service has cost us plenty only to find ourselves with a worse service and plenty more traffic on our roads

David Galea

Nov 21st 2012, 13:09

ARRIVA has plans, plans and more plans. But the citizens wants reliability and travel time durations as as the old bus schedules. For example from Naxxar to B'kara it used to take between 10 to 15 minutes. But the present ARRIVA travel arrangement one has to take TWO buses and 1.5 hours to reach the same destination.

Dear Mr. Richard Hall in which of ARRIVA's plan was the above done?

Anthony Paris

Nov 21st 2012, 13:08

Mr. Hall, forget about "..leading provider" and other jargon that everybody uses today, and has absolutely no meaning. All we want is reliability. Your own drivers admit to turning up for work, and there are no buses available for them to drive. So you must do your sums again as to how many buses and how many drivers you require based on the local opearting environment.

Paul Borg

Nov 21st 2012, 12:58

We still have the same problems of careless
And rude Drivers drivers. And half the punctuality of the previous company. Oh yes and double the price and discrimination between locals and foreigners.

Benjamin Tonna

Nov 21st 2012, 12:57

Arriva believe me is hopeless. No matter how early I am on the stage I am always late for my appointments. Last friday I was waiting for the bus 31 from Naxxar, I waited for over 45 minutes .With the old bus we used to calculate the time and always was in time. I am stuck at home bacause of the Arriva. Why is it that when we arrive from Gozo we have to wait for about 30 minutes for bus 41 or 4 ??

alan borg

Nov 21st 2012, 12:50

How is it possible that the main problem is not being given enough importance?

ie That the buses are too wide and long for our roads and that this problem will never be solved unless they change at least part of the fleet.

Why do we have all these crashes and increased congestion ?

Ronald Demicoli

Nov 21st 2012, 12:39

Welcome Mr Hall. Wish you and us all the best. Can Arriva customer care ask Transport Malta to have a close good look at the potholes near arriva bus stop in main Valley Road Birkirkara located just a few metres from Idea Casa showroom (route 43-45) toward Bugibba. These holes get waterlogged during rain and cars driving past cannot avoid driving through and splash rainwater all over us commuters

R. Vella.

Nov 21st 2012, 12:35

for the system to be better than the old one, for me it has to provide me at least of a bus to Mellieha / Cirkewwa every 10 minutes (as it was under the old system).... and I am not seeing it happen.

Working in Valletta has become a nightmare !

C Muscat

Nov 21st 2012, 12:31

Whatever the remarks, I wish I can start using the public transport as soon as I can. I need a reliable punctual service at a fair fare.
I used to have a much better service with old 71 at half the price.

Salvino Zammit

Nov 21st 2012, 12:28

.Arriva should pull up its socks- I still have the feeling that what Mr Hall stated would give us a positive result, but If Arriva fails this time TM has to prove itself with the Maltese population. I am more than glad to note the comments of Mr Hall on Routes 70's. M<y concern was always Route 72- paticular attention should be given to Bus leaving Valletta Bus Terminus- especially from 10am to 1p

Angelo Polidano

Nov 21st 2012, 12:19

Has Mr. Richard Hall ever waited for a bus at Valletta bus terminus while it is pouring down with rain as it happened this morning and the bus waiting for is not there. Please don't insult our intelligence Mr. Hall.Some of us might be morons for accepting your excuses but not all of us.

James McIntosh

Nov 21st 2012, 11:45

I took my first journey with Arriva at the week-end. The service was efficient enough but as a former vehicle engineer I can only berate the serviceability of the bus. The suspension bearings were knocking furiously with every bump on the road and there were numerous rattles and bangs from within the coach structure as well, this does not bode well for buses that are only just over a year old.

Luciano Chetcuti

Nov 21st 2012, 11:42

Ma tantx jidher li Arriva cediet - We are not increasing the number of buses.
"We want Malta to be recognised as a class leading provider in public transportation." Then Mr Hall see to it that what you said happens very soon!! We are paying for such a disgusting service while you have your private car to take you where you want... while we are at Arriva's mercy.
TM is being taken for a ride.

Georges Alexander Magri

Nov 21st 2012, 11:38

Wow! What words, Mr. Hall! Impressive but not convincing,All the Maltese think so.If you haven't sorted out your mess in 18 months, it's a hopeless case.Without any more ado, just resign, give up & let someone else take over.We want facts, not words!

Jurgen Rekkers

Nov 21st 2012, 11:36

"He insisted that the provision of buses was determined by the contract with Transport Malta, not profitability. However he admitted that there had been cases where the number of buses deployed on the routes was not sufficient."

This is contradictory. Either Transport Malta made a mistake or Arriva.

Victor Pulis

Nov 21st 2012, 11:24

He disputed the claim that there used to be fewer accidents in the old service, saying that Arriva was receiving more media attention
Does that mean that when the old buses had accidents the medis did not report them?!
Mr. hall address the route problem. We never wanted different routes. We wanted clean buses whuich we got sort of, and polite drivers. The hub should remain valletta.

M Thomas

Nov 21st 2012, 11:23

If people are making this much fuss this political much about Arriva's attempts at service, then I don't understand why they didn't exile all the old bus drivers to a prison colony on Comminotto. Do people forget what the old service was like? Don't you remember the incidents where passengers were verbally and physically assaulted by drivers without charge? Arriva is a vast improvement. Thank you.

E. Azzopardi

Nov 21st 2012, 11:20

I hope the CEO will be proved right. However, you had ample time to correct the deficiencies.

The authorities should help. For example. just before the San Gwann Church, coming from St. Julians, there is always cars parked in a Keep Clear Area. There is always chaos. To add insult to injury, twenty meters away there is a police station! Apparently, the council is incapable of keeping order.

Mr Karl Ciarlo'

Nov 21st 2012, 11:18

Starting to deliver, Mr Hall? After 18 months? Please, sir. The previous service was provided with the same traffic conditions and roads. They didn't have police and army personnel clearing the way for them. And the use of the long buses and the bendy ones is not great. They should not have to cross over to the other side of the road to negotiate a turn. It endangers other road users.

Joseph Fenech

Nov 21st 2012, 11:07

Mr Hall jidher li ma' jirkibx tal-linja u joqghod fuq li jghidulu!!! Il-poplu marad jistenna hinjiet twal fix-xemx u fix-xita.Il-kelma management ma' tezistix go dan il-pajjiz.!!!!!

Andrew Scicluna

Nov 21st 2012, 11:05

Most of the routes need to be properly addressed our roads are not up to standard, traffic congestion still needs to be taken into consideration.TM needs to send personnel on buses and experience the problems them selves so they will have the right feeling of what needs to be done.
After all the service is mostly better than it used to be so some progress has been achieved,more needs to be done.

George Joseph Cauchi

Nov 21st 2012, 11:04

It is pointless to shove the problem onto Arriva before the congestion of Traffic on our one lane roads is sorted out. This Government has to take unpopular decisions to allocate more bus lanes and restrict road usage by heavy vehicles and private cars to off peak hours.

George Joseph Cauchi

Nov 21st 2012, 11:03

It is pointless to shove the problem onto Arriva before the congestion of Traffic on our one lane roads is sorted out. This Government has to take unpopular decisions to allocate more bus lanes and restrict road usage by heavy vehicles and private cars to off peak hours.

Franco Abela

Nov 21st 2012, 10:56

"He disputed the claim that there used to be fewer accidents in the old service, saying that Arriva was receiving more media attention than the situation before"

NOT TRUE... WE SEE ACCIDENTS WITH OUR EYES NOT ON THE NEWS... JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THE BUSES AND YOU WILL SEE SOME SORT OF DAMAGE REFLECTING A COLLISION.

Mr Emanuel Farrugia

Nov 21st 2012, 10:43

@ Onor. Min. Austin Gatt

"The CEO of Arriva Malta, Richard Hall, said today that his company was committed to improving punctuality and reliability, but it did not see a need to raise the number of buses to do so".

Wiehed jghid moghod u iehor jghid moghod iehor u s-socjeta tisfen fin-nofs. Hafna prosit.


Emanuel Farrugia former Executive Secretary Mtarfa Local Council

Claire Abela

Nov 21st 2012, 10:38

Where does Mr. Hall live? The routes for the Zurrieq area are being monitored because there were many many complaints to Mr. Delia, well and good!! But who will try to help the Bus 81 and Bus 84 people from the village of Zejtun? Before with the orange buses there was a disaster and now with this new Arriva service, we are worst!I can vouch for this myself as I have to use public transport daily.

Joseph Borg

Nov 21st 2012, 10:38

Dear Mr Hall, what is actually Arriva's target? Is it to provide a professional and fully functional public transport system or just to stick to a number of buses that have been dictated by TM? Ever noticed why university students are NOT using Arriva? Ever tried to investigate why most of MCAST,junoir college and other higher secondary students are getting lift from their parents to go to school?

Leonard Cole

Nov 21st 2012, 10:04

The Image of said buses is a complete disaster cleanliness does not exists and I wonder if they are being cleaned on a daily bases, besides all the scratches and dents all over. Drivers lack experience small incident this morning in Tower road bendy bus tried to over take another bendy bus highly irresponsible. Arriva should burden responsibilities believe had time enough to discuss and adjust.

Mark Vella

Nov 21st 2012, 10:02

Since privatization it's all only a question of money ... if they increase number of busses and salary of drivers, also the prices for bus tickets will go up.
It's also ridiculous, that many people complain about the delays of the busses but most of the car drivers do not give them right of way (as it is the law in most other countries) and not even let them go out from the bus stops.

Mr Anton Portelli

Nov 21st 2012, 09:57

Arriva CEO defended the use of bendy buses.......... I would think that if he dispatched two buses one every half hour instead of a bendy every hour the public will be better served. If instead of two buses it was four Minibuses one every 15 mins this will be even better service. This will encourage more people to leave their car at home and use Arriva service.

J Cachia

Nov 21st 2012, 09:57

The joke of the millennium: "Arriva sees no need for more buses to improve reliability". How about Richard Hall uses the Arriva service to go to his office? Or try to get to Qrendi using his blessed Arriva? The old service used to get me quicker from A to B ... and it was punctual too! Arriva fails miserably in these aspects! "Arriva sees no need for more buses to improve reliability" What cheek!

Mario P. Sciberras

Nov 21st 2012, 09:43

Form over substance. The gentleman, like the one before him, uses high sounding jargon, to demonstrate that he is very good at playing with words but not in solving existing problems.
Mr Hall is paid to deliver, not to make statements such as "Bendy buses are ...absolutely great for the Maltese islands", "We want Malta to be recognised as a class leading provider in public transportation".

Anthony A. Mifsud

Nov 21st 2012, 09:38

A year or so later we are addressing these issues? what a farce the bull should have been stringed long before he was let losse
Take the Old Buses out or whats left of them and we could have done better.
Ninu

stephen koludrovic

Nov 21st 2012, 09:26

As most buses do end up in Valletta, I would suggest that Arriva should install another filling station in their Blata il Bajda park. This would be more convenient for most buses that could be running out of fuel.

Peter Murray

Nov 21st 2012, 09:21

Just one point .Why is the author of this article contributing to bus journeys given that he represents an organisation (MEHFA)who advocate walking,cycling and other forms of personal mobility fitness methods but not travelling on public transport or any transport that does not require a personal effort?A health expert should be telling us to get on our bikes or use shanks' pony more surely .

Lawrence Fenech

Nov 21st 2012, 09:16

The problem is Arriva does not want to invest more money in Buses and most probable will not get one cent from the government for further improvement of the Bus service.

Carmel Dimech

Nov 21st 2012, 09:16

If you don't know how to spend the day go to Bugibba as after waiting for around half an hour or more for the bus, and if you'll pick the number 31 or now the 45 it will take you round half Malta. You will arrive in Bugibba in 1 hour 30 mins. A hell of a journey.

leli farrugia

Nov 21st 2012, 09:15

kompli dejjem iprova irranga Mr Hall u sa dan ittant komplu pappu is sussidji min fuq dahar il poplu malti

Franco Attard Trevisan

Nov 21st 2012, 09:15

"He disputed the claim that there used to be fewer accidents in the old service"

Well in my 35 years I can count the number of accidents of the old buses on my hands... In the past year, since Arriva started 'operating' I already ran out of both fingers and toes to count the accidents I saw!!

try pull another one mate!

Donna Parnis

Nov 21st 2012, 09:09

Richard Hall I have been phoning Arriva for months about the route 84, not turning up on time, not arriving at all at certain times of the day and guess what, it still has not improved, nothing has been done at all. in fact before we had arriva we had two buses, 29 and 30 every 15 minutes now we have you every half hour if your buses decide to arrive, non arrival arriva. sorry not impressed

Paul Cassar

Nov 21st 2012, 09:08

TM is as much to blame, perhaps more, than Arriva...........................starting with the mad idea of changing all

the routes and the boasting, even until a few days ago, that the present service is better than the old one !!!!!!!!

Ask the public using the service not the chauffeur driven executives.

Luciano Chetcuti

Nov 21st 2012, 09:03

"We are starting to deliver, we have a number of action plans, .."

You are starting??!!! You should have started more than a year ago!!!

TM continue to monitor this company and make sure that we taxpayers do not pay for joy-rides any more.

K Psaila

Nov 21st 2012, 08:59

The photo attached to this article shows a bus with a defective front information panel !

phyllis butler

Nov 21st 2012, 08:58

If that is the case, when can we expect the service to improve on certain routes?