Changes there have certainly been in the route bus service ever since Arriva came along in summer 2011. However, the reform as such, that is the all-round improvement that was promised in taking commuters from A to B in the most comfortable way and in the shortest time possible, has still not come about. And by the look of things, it will certainly be some time till it does.

The Sunday Times has reported that Transport Malta deems the service offered by Arriva as “unacceptable”, giving the German-owned company until the end of this month to bring it up to scratch.

“Transport Malta will not tolerate this low level of service any longer and unless the route group is brought to 100 per cent reliability and a reasonable level of punctuality by the end of November, Transport Malta will have no option but to deploy additional buses or coaches to ensure the contracted level of service is achieved, all of which will be done at Arriva’s expense,” the transport regulator said in a letter to the bus operator.

This is not the first time that Arriva has been told to pull its socks up and shown the yellow card. It probably won’t be the last, either.

The Transport Ministry subsequently acknowledged that Arriva is not making an effort to improve the service on problematic routes.

However, it defended the public transport reform – which the ministry had piloted – insisting that the controls in place today were not possible under the previous system when bus operators “did practically what they liked”.

Well, tell that to the poor commuter waiting for a bus that never turns up or arrives/leaves way behind schedule. So unreliable is the service that many people say they were better off under the old system.

Not to mention the traffic problems that the huge vehicles, including the dreaded and thoroughly unsuitable bendy buses, are causing either because of their sheer size or because new, inexperienced drivers still find difficulties manoeuvring them through the narrow roads or in the chaotic traffic that prevails.

A survey commissioned by The Times last summer, to mark the first anniversary of Arriva’s arrival, showed that while 79.6 per cent of respondents said they used the old bus service before the 2011 reform, 49.9 per cent reported using Arriva now. Also, while 20.4 per cent of respondents said they did not use the service before the reform, the number now grew to 50.1 per cent.

But according to the Transport Ministry at the time, the poll surveyed perception and not actual patronage. It insisted that the facts clearly showed there were 16.6 per cent more passengers using the bus service in June compared with the same period last year and 7.8 per cent more passengers using public transport between January and June compared with the same six months last year.

So, what happens now? That is the million dollar question. Judging by past experience, it is unlikely that any robust improvements will be made, that is, if those who can make a difference – bar Transport Malta, giving the contents of the letter it has just sent to Arriva – keep fooling themselves that all is fine.

The travelling public knows all is not fine, far from it. And it is commuters that really matter. As users, they are the best suited to pass judgement. As things stand, catching the bus is not the best way to travel.