Arriva ‘takes safety extremely seriously’
Earlier this week, former bus drivers alleged that some of Arriva’s bendy buses lacked working safety features. Photo: Wessel de Cock
Arriva yesterday “categorically” denied that bendy buses lacked working safety features, slamming claims that locks preventing vehicles from moving with doors opened were “almost always” off.
Commercial director Fabien Courtellemont was reacting to an item that appeared on The Times on Thursday in which two former bendy bus drivers described the situation as a “tragedy waiting to happen”.
Mr Courtellemont said all drivers were trained to use the locking feature properly and action was taken to prevent “fraudulent” use, with “strong disciplinary action” against staff who used it improperly.
“All Arriva Malta buses, included articulated buses, are equipped with safety features beyond the specifications of the contract between Transport Malta and Arriva Malta and in line with European and international standards,” he said.
“These features include, among others, contact sensors that prevent doors from closing on a passenger but instead reopen automatically and a system preventing buses from moving with open doors.”
Arriva also denied it ignored the warnings of retired bus driver and instructor Gary Simmonds. “Mr Simmonds has talked personally with Mr Courtellemont but stated he will not talk with ‘persons who can’t drive bendies’ and refused to give further information. He was also contacted by Arriva’s health and safety officer but with no further success,” Arriva said.
Insisting it had an open door policy that was “perhaps more open than that of any other Maltese company”, Arriva pointed out that Mr Simmonds was a former driver, not a qualified engineer capable of making some of the claims he made in The Times.
“He is not or never has been employed by Arriva Malta and, as such, his comments should be considered unfounded and disregarded as appropriate. However, we remain open to trying again to meet with him, despite our previous offers being refused.”
Arriva also denied that employees who refused to drive a bus three times would get a warning. “This statement is absolutely wrong. No driver would ever receive a warning for refusing to drive a bus that was deemed unfit for service by one of our technical experts.”
Also wrong was the statement that only drivers were fined by wardens, it said.
“Arriva, as a company, can also be fined by the wardens. Arriva drivers, like all other motorists on the road, are subject to Maltese law and are fined by wardens or authorities for infringements.
“They are held responsible for infringements if, and only if, the infringement is directly attributable to their behaviour. Likewise, Arriva as a company and a Maltese business is equally subject to local laws and regulations and bears its responsibilities as the case may be.”
Arriva said it took safety “extremely seriously” and insisted that all its employees should uphold safety with the same level of seriousness.
“Indeed, Arriva has and will take all necessary actions, including disciplinary actions at all levels, to ensure the safety of passengers, employees and the public in general.”
Consumers’ Association warning
The health and safety issues flagged in The Times are of “major concern”, according to the Consumers’ Association, which said it too had received similar complaints about buses.
“We have reports that are not limited to bendy buses but concern other buses being used. We are aware of instances where passenger seats are not fixed properly.”
The problem, according to the Consumers’ Association, is that consumers believe it is useless to report complaints because they get the impression that the authorities are not interested in resolving them.
“It is a situation of learned helplessness,” a spokesman said, urging the authorities to do their job properly.
Transport Malta should ensure that any vehicles used were fit and safe. If not, they should be immediately removed from the road until the situation was rectified, it said.
The association said that one should look into whether records were kept on the maintenance of each bus used and whether such documents were made available to the authority and ensured its authenticity.
It added that the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority should be “proactive” when ensuring standards.
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142 Comments
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Lawrence Hallett
Jan 6th, 21:16
the politicos are cupable. ride a bike its quicker and cheaper
Francesca Abela
Jan 6th, 18:23
Do make us laugh some more Arriva, it has been one roller coaster spiral downward ever since Arriva started operating in Malta! Most of the buses are dented, bashed up with bits stuck on by tape and some of them make a horrendous engine noise. Euro 5 engines anyone? Customer satisfaction? Well planned routes - LOL
R Zammit
Jan 6th, 08:56
the number of bus accidents recorded so far is indeed proof that Arriva takes safety measures 'extremely seriously'
stephen portelli
Jan 6th, 08:46
I dare arriva to make one single test that will prove that all the busses are not road safe worthy . The test is braking in the rain . With my own eyes i had seen busses stopping on wet roads at slow speeds and tyres slick forward instead of gripping. This is a fact and can be proven .
Jon Fenech
Jan 6th, 08:32
Yes they are so serious about safety that nearly all of their drivers push you into the crash barrier while driving from Msida to Pieta especially if you are half way through the overtaking. Pathetic!
Francis Bellizzi
Jan 6th, 06:17
Don`t forget that Arriva Malta`s bendy buses have had a busy working life in London. Most of them worked twenty four hours a day on the road. Imagine how many times they arrived in Victoria bus station SW1 ?
I travelled on one last Friday. We were seated near the centre circle and it did not sound too healthy and
in the UK if the driver found something wrong with the vehicle he will not drive it
Karl Consiglio
Jan 6th, 02:08
If they care about safety so much why are there no seatbelts for passengers?
Gary Simmonds
Jan 5th, 23:47
4 Times I Went To Arriva Head Office In Qormi, 4 Times I Asked To Speak To Somebody In Person, 4 Times I Got Nowhere
I Got Called Once But The Person I Spoke To Did Not Seem To Have Any Idea Of The Point I Was Trying To Make. No Point Explaining To Somebody Who Hasn't Got A Clue What Your Talking About.
I Drove These Buses In London and I Know What Safety Features Are Fitted And Don't Work.
robert pace
Jan 5th, 22:37
Big Joke. Arriva are careless!!!
Noel Mifsud
Jan 5th, 22:34
Allura bl istess mod ghaliex ivvintajna l cookers meta qabel konna nuzaw il hatab, u il karozzi meta qabel konna nuzaw il bhejjem. Veru ghanda stampa cara ta kif tefawna lura dawn in nies sta l Arriva. Izjed verita kemm zbalja minn ha id decizjoni li jaghti it trasport pubbliku lil dawn in nies inkompotenti.
Noel Mifsud
Jan 5th, 22:33
Din l isbah kummiedja li rajt f dal pajjiz f din is sena u nofs. Veru li spiccaw l buzulotti imma bdew il kummiedji. Nirringrazja ufficjalment lil Dr Austin Gatt u lil Manuel Delia ghax gabu dal pajjiz dahqa ta veru fejn jidhol it transport pubbliku. Imma ogbitni din tal cameras ghax qalu li il cameras mhux qedin hemm flok ix xufiera.
John Cassar
Jan 5th, 21:33
Where was the consumers' association when we had the previous buses?
John Turner
Jan 5th, 19:47
If Arriva takes safety seriously, how is it a ceiling panel was hanging perilously on some bits of string on a bus I travelled on whilst on holiday? Arriva obviously knew about it; they had made a botched repair.
This sounds like some companies in the UK; they'll state something that just isn't true leaving you wondering if their spokesperson is ill-informed, delusional or just lying.
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 20:01
A fair assessment!
John Thomas
Jan 5th, 20:54
It is a British Company , innit?
Peter Murray
Jan 5th, 21:07
John Thomas -Arriva is actually a GERMAN company-ACHTUNG!
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 22:01
@ John Thomas: No, I think that you will find that it is German owned. Just not as clinically efficient as most German enterprises!
Steven Smith
Jan 5th, 23:19
a German owned company but the bad news is its being managed , repaired and mostly driven by Maltese...its a no win situation !
Andrew Holland
Jan 5th, 23:30
Probably all three John! I think many of us know what Arriva can be like in the UK, i.e. not exactly a byword for excellence. Combined with the Maltese tendency to erm "improvise and be unique" when maintaining things was only ever going to spell trouble wasn't it?18 months ago the fleet was in new or nearly new condition, now the fleet feels 20yrs old already. This will only get worse over time.
Andrew Holland
Jan 5th, 18:56
Take it seriously eh!? travelled on 7 buses today, many had safety and security issues (i.e. missing fire extinguishers / cctv turned to look at ceiling/walls (why?!)), worst offender being bendy 215, this had all door monitors off, kickpanel and handrail in front of first seat behind front door missing,alarming noises from suspension, cracked windscreen and should not be in service at all IMHO!
Marc Caruana
Jan 5th, 18:51
i spend at least 6 hrs a day near st julians bus stop cause i work near by. it s true a lot of the arriva buses they leave the bus stop while the side door it s still closing . so please arrive don't try to make fool off us check first before a tragedy happens than it s too late.
C Muscat
Jan 5th, 18:28
Il-gvern u l-ARRIVA dahku bina meta weghduna karozzi godda u d-daqs skond il-bzonn u t-toroq. Meta kien ghadu tender anzi qalu li hafna karozzi ser ikunu mini buses.
Kollha goddA FJAMANTI!!!!
E. Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 18:28
Before ARRIVA came to Malta, I wish them a lot of luck.
Boy, do they need it!!!
Mr Henry A. Grima
Jan 5th, 17:33
Last week a bus wrecked three parked cars in Qaliet Street going down towards the bay. Did it skid? or brake faiure?
And yet Arriva insists on having Bus 124 going down Gebel Hanxul hill, which is much steeper, instead of using Salvu Buhagiar towards Inspire.
An accident waiting to happen??
A Camilleri
Jan 5th, 16:47
i still dont like them! i cringe every time i pass by one
John Thomas
Jan 5th, 16:26
There had been a Directive from the TA, that all year round temperatures are set at 17-21 degrees maximum. In fact the Bus inspectors from the TA, in their tick in the box sheet, this element is taken into consideration. The Drivers are solely responsible to see that these temperatures are adhered to. Neither the TA or Arriva can do this from their offices. MPs should pass a Law on this.
Maurice Cini
Jan 5th, 16:19
Can Arriva Malta have some respect to its public commuters? Today on bus no 3 it stopped at Paola ( Lourdes0355) All people had to get out.I have phoned Arriva to sent another bus to continue the journey.To our surprise we have been told to wait for the next bus that leaves in 30 minutes!! If this was Sunday we have to wait 60minutes. This is the Arriva Service in 2013 with the blessing of TM.
Bronwyn Cini
Jan 6th, 00:18
Hi Maurice I felt complied to respond to a fellow Cini :) I can answer this. I have people around me associated with this company and I too experience the delights of communing with them (please note sarcasm in that last part). This may be because as of recent drivers have been instructed to stop at next stop when their shift finishes instead of continuing and getting paid overtime.
John Thomas
Jan 5th, 16:14
I always try to sit near a 'window' where i can gasp for some air. Apart from the heat that commuters create, especially when full, heaters are a real No No. but one thing that has been constantly ignored is the exhaust fumes that seep in these buses. At time the air is in-breathable. One can further see that the bus is hazy and fumes are even visible. Many cough and reach for air.
Anthony Falzon
Jan 5th, 17:13
surely you must be refering to the old buses.
Paul Borg
Jan 5th, 16:06
How about passenger liability insurance ?? How does that work ?
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 17:27
I would imagine that if you are injured whilst travelling on or getting on or off an Arriva bus and can prove that Arriva are negligent you will have a legitimate liability claim for damages.
John Cole Smith
Jan 5th, 16:04
This Foreign Company, constantly has mistreated the Maltese and general Commuter like trash. Every time, I pay for my ticket, I have contracted with Arriva, a service that includes the temperature of 19 (or Below0 to a max of 21 degrees all year round. Instead Arriva and its Drivers have leashed hell on commuters with high temperatures and heaters that make everyone so very drowsy and sick.
John Holmes
Jan 5th, 15:55
I have taken interest in the temperatures on these buses for some time. I myself suffer greatly and have a big problem like the rest of human mankind, with traveling in a closed environment, together with scores of commuters, in temperatures of 40 Degrees Celsius on my temperature stick and 13 - 19 Degrees Celsius, almost on all the temperature gauges on all buses. This should be a Crime.
Dee Williams
Jan 5th, 15:54
The old buses had signs which read 12 people standing... now the arriva have something like 41 passengers seated and 80 standing on the bendy buses.... Is this LEGAL, are Arriva covered on insurance? This is an enormous amount of people and weight.
C Cassar
Jan 5th, 17:32
Of course it's legal, these buses have been designed to take a large percentage of standing passengers as you'll see in every other European city if you've ever travelled outside of Malta.
A Cotton
Jan 5th, 20:28
Seating and Standing numbers are on an sticker near the front of all buses........
Bronwyn Cini
Jan 6th, 00:20
it may be legal but it sure as hell ain't safe when a lot drive crazy around the corners in salina. I know from experience eg one time bus went on side (tipped slightly) as he was driving to fast around the corners.
john vernon
Jan 5th, 15:25
What a load of rubbish these people speak to justify their jobs, you only have to look at the state of the buses on the roads to realise they are not checked every morning ( body damage, indicators lights panels broken & hanging off) you cant blame the driver for this. You just run a sub standard service for joe public, i wouldn't believe a word one executive says.
John Grech
Jan 5th, 15:19
Hate to say this but, the trouble is not just the bus drivers it's most of the Maltese drivers. They are much too aggressive follow toooo close, most do not signal when making a turn, most think that they "own" the road, stop, park, where they want, and in general they all have this need to pass you regardless of how fast you are going. " Attitude is the major cause of the problems in Malta. Wake
A Cotton
Jan 5th, 20:32
@John Grech, Very true words, but what about the fine Malta Police Force, you would like to think that they would stop an vehicle being driven in such an manner?????????????
John Grech
Jan 6th, 20:49
A. Cotton,
"Driving Skills"
At the end it will be the police force that will change the behavior of bad driving habits.
After it's all said and done, it will be the wallet that will determine how one drives. This will take many generations to achieve, and the will of the law makers to stay the course to succeed. Malta can become a place where driving somewhere can be a pleasure, not a hassle.
J Martinelli
Jan 5th, 14:37
The 'Consumer Association received similar complaints'.
Did it approach Arriva? M T?
For decades we had buses with torn seats, rattling windows, cold in winter & hot in summer, smoky engines, rude drivers etc. Complaints were rare.
Now we have new/er buses, better kept and up to Euro-standards & complaints are many.
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 14:47
That be it in a nutshell. I wonder why? Answers please on a postcard to Arriva Customer Services!
Joseph Micallef
Jan 5th, 14:53
Int bis-serjeta Mr. Martinelli? What EU standards? braking on wet surfaces and crashing into Bombi injuring a number of passengers? A journey from Sliema to St Julian's ending up in Zurrieq and lasting 1.5 hours? Buses with malfunctioned lights? Stalled buses everywhere? Int bis-serjeta? Grow up!
Angelo Polidano
Jan 5th, 15:00
Yes Mr. Martinelli but how many accidents did the old buses have? and how long did we have to wait for a bus which was running Late?
Steven Smith
Jan 5th, 15:02
no one dared to complain for the fear of being threatened by the drivers !
Gorg Sciberras
Jan 6th, 08:46
Many here do not actually use buses and did not use the old ones. Nobody remembers spending an hour waiting for the old buses to arrive and they would then just drive past even when empty? The stench, tatty and dangerous seats, rude drivers, crashes (yes I was in more than one), random timetables. The current service (which I use) is not perfect and needs to improve, but it is incomparably better.
Lawrence Fenech
Jan 5th, 14:20
Were the "takes extremely safety measures seriously" on at Portes Des Bombes.
J Galea
Jan 5th, 14:10
Bus drivers don't even bother to indicate in most cases. arriva take note.
Lawrence Hallett
Jan 5th, 14:16
and car drivers do? INDICATION IS NOT AN OPTIONAL EXTRA!
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 14:52
No change there then from the old regime and for the majority of car drivers! If that was all we had to worry about with Arriva there would be no problem!
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 14:04
A straight question for Arriva: Are you prepared to publish full details of your maintenance arrangements for the fleet and, if requested for specific vehicles?
Lawrence Hallett
Jan 5th, 14:14
do you really think you'll get a straight answer?
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 14:39
@ Lawrence Hallet: In a word NO! All previous direct requests for informatiion or clarification have been ignored. However, if as they say, they take matters of safety very seriously then this is a chance for them to offer up some information in support of their claim.
Lawrence Hallett
Jan 5th, 15:05
good luck james i back you whole heartedly, when it comes to public safety greater transparency is needed. those running arriva after all have to answer their customers. being election time it will be interesting to see where the politicos stand on this.
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 14:02
As they did up to the launch in 2011 Arriva continue to talk a good game but sadly frequently what you hear is certainly not what you get. Too many people still unhappy with what is on offer.
Colm Fitzgerald
Jan 5th, 14:01
Bendy buses often drive off with the doors open. I was on one a few weeks ago where the rear-most door was stuck about half open, staying that way for the entire trip! Worryingly people tried to get out through the small gap at stops...
Lawrence Hallett
Jan 5th, 13:53
same ole roadshow no one cares., the authorities, the management, the drivers. no one assumes responsibility until there is a fatality nothing will change, that is supposed to have happened already. dr's gonzi and muscat when did either of you last use a bus? never? maybe that explains why they don't care
Tony Borg Borg
Jan 5th, 13:46
Sur Pulis jekk sewwieq tal-Arriva qabez il-dawl ahmar ghamel hazin imma inti rajt bhall ma rajt Jien ewwwieqa ta' trakkijiet kbar jaqbzu id-dawl ahmar.
Victor Pulis
Jan 5th, 14:52
Jekk is sewwieqa tat trakkijiet qabzu d-dawl ahmar ghamlu hazin imma t-trakkijiet sa fejn naf jien ma jgorrux passiggieri u ma jaghmlux parti mill flotta tal Arriva Il kumpanija li qed tigi diskussa hawn.
Victor Pulis
Jan 5th, 13:46
“All Arriva Malta buses, included articulated buses, are equipped with safety features beyond the specifications of the contract between Transport Malta and Arriva Malta and in line with European and international standards,” he said.
So were the application requirements going contrary to EU specifications?
vaughan whitehead
Jan 5th, 13:41
Not on the number 12 from buggiba yesterday which pulled out from the depot with back doors open which the driver closed 50m out of the depot when he was alerted to the fact the door was open by a tm official and a car driver 2 other times during the journey he drove off with the same doors open yes the safety features are working-i think not
Lawrence Hallett
Jan 5th, 13:34
bombay just got rid of their flight of king long buses because they are so bad. who is living in third world? keep calm and eat a pea pie!
Vincent Cassar
Jan 5th, 13:33
More than a year has pased and Arriva is still "working hard" to justify itself. And I ask: Where is MCCAA? Where is the Minister? Where are those consultants who got well paid for advising about this fiasco? And where is Manwel Delia - the know-it-all...People (i.e. consumers, i.e taxpayers, i.e. us - blue, red, green and all) want explanations and actions not words, words, and more words!
Lawrence Hallett
Jan 5th, 13:32
part of the safety issue also includes the suspension on these buses not being tough enough for the state of maltese roads, so in this transport malta also have their part to play. if nothing changes people will die its just a matter of time and everyone else will carry on pointing the finger rather than taking responsibility and doing the right thing
C Magri
Jan 5th, 19:26
Well surely it's the roads that are the problem and not the vehicles? Land rovers wouldn't last five minutes on Maltese roads..
Lawrence Hallett
Jan 5th, 13:26
the fleet is held together with plastic ties. arriva using a years supply of wing mirrors in 3 months and there is no safety issue? elections are coming vote for the arriva party!!
Marc Alan Spiteri
Jan 5th, 13:25
“All Arriva Malta buses, included articulated buses, are equipped with safety features beyond the specifications of the contract between Transport Malta and Arriva Malta and in line with European and international standards,” he said.
I don't care whether they're installed; if they're unoperational it's just as well as not having them at all!
Renato J. Costigan
Jan 5th, 13:20
..............Mr. Fabien Courtellemont, what about the enormous noises inside the bendy busses which
sometimes are really deafining. Are these noises up to safety standards? I do not think that maintenance
is being done regularly.
PLEASE NOTE THESE COMPLAINTS.
C Falzon
Jan 5th, 13:19
I have been in a bendy bus twice and in both occasions the bus started moving before the door was closed.
While one has to acknowledge the importance of such safety measures I do also think we should keep things into perspective. Today we complain about malfunctioning interlocks and CCTV cameras when just a couple of years ago most buses didn't even have a door, let alone a safety interlock.
Victor Pulis
Jan 5th, 13:47
But now they do and we expect them to work.
vaughan whitehead
Jan 5th, 13:48
Arriva are being paid a lot of money to run this service the old busses dont come into it if these features are on a bus they should be working if you got a new car and the horn did not work would you complain or say well it worked on my old car so not to worry about this 1
James Dewar
Jan 5th, 14:44
Maybe not but generally they got you there on time and seemed to be involved in less incidents. Nor did either the operators or drivers pretend to be something they were not! What you saw was what you got and, albeit with room for a bit of improvement, they did the job well.
Joseph Micallef
Jan 5th, 13:15
Arriva ‘takes safety extremely seriously’ - is this comment to be taken seriously?
Renato J. Costigan
Jan 5th, 13:15
I would like to ask a question to he Commercial Director Mr Fabien Courtellemont.
The X1 - 5.30am bus that is Airport/Cirkewwa last Wednesday had the necessary safety measures
especially the flat tyres on a slippery road which took 45 minutes to arrive up to Pembroke and then
the driver intelligently stopped the bus from continue the journey for our safety, with smell inside? An answer.
Adrian Pavia
Jan 5th, 13:14
Then why last week a driver was driving a bus with open doors all the way to Valletta??
twanny borg
Jan 5th, 13:10
Meta kienu jahbtu l-buses l-antiki ma kienx jinzamm record. Dawn ghadhom jibdew b'hafna xufiera godda. Taf x'naf li qabel il-buses l-antiki bid-diesel jew pitrolju kienu qed joqtluna ftit ftit. Gemgin fuq kollox sirna irridu kollox perfett izda taf min igerger min ghomru ma jghamel xejn imaqdar biss.
Robert Lewis
Jan 5th, 13:36
Inti bis serjeta qieghed tghid li dawn ghadhom jibdew, ilhom hawn 18 il xahar. U zgur li wiehed jippretendi li jkun perfett meta l prezz izjed min irdobbja u mhux billi gie jghid AG li rahsu, mela n-nies boloh ma jafux li mhux veru rahsu.
twanny borg
Jan 5th, 14:28
Hemm xufiera milhomx is-snin bhal ma kienu l-ohrajn imma hemm ftit gimghat biss. Bil-flus ma tixtrix il-perfezzjoni. 1.50c nirkeb erbgha karrozzi f'gurnata u gieli aktar nippreferi milli insuq.
twanny borg
Jan 5th, 14:28
Hemm xufiera milhomx is-snin bhal ma kienu l-ohrajn imma hemm ftit gimghat biss. Bil-flus ma tixtrix il-perfezzjoni. 1.50c nirkeb erbgha karrozzi f'gurnata u gieli aktar nippreferi milli insuq.
Joseph Micallef
Jan 5th, 13:09
I used to feel much safer on the old, nostalgic, heavy metal buses. Never witnessed an accident on those buses and served us extremely well... apart from being an icon for tourists! All tourists and foreigners echo the same voice: 'get back those old lovely buses'. Yes ok, a good re-organisation of the service was needed and some of the old buses needed to be upgraded BUT NOT this total flop!
C Magri
Jan 5th, 19:30
You must be joking!
Joe Borg (Senior)
Jan 5th, 13:01
L-aqwa li ghamilna t-Task Force!
Michael Calleja
Jan 5th, 12:58
Arriva should start to make sure buses do not stop in the middle of the road and instead on their bus stops!!!!! Absolutely fed up by this and I'm sure many others are too!!
Renato J. Costigan
Jan 5th, 13:23
You are right Michael, but please note that sometimes it is not their fault but to those irresponsible
drivers who park their car on bus stops especially in Hamrun near the HSBC bus stop.
M Grima
Jan 5th, 12:58
Arriva was a fiasco, still is and will always be just because Transport Malta don't know the ropes.
Victor Pulis
Jan 5th, 12:55
Last week an Arriva bus jumped the red light and kept on going in Paola square. I never saw this happen with the old buses.Can we know how many accidents were the buses involved in since their introduction?In the first 10 months of operation they had an average of 4 accidents daily. That's safety for you!
M Grima
Jan 5th, 12:54
Arriva ‘takes safety extremely seriously’
Yes, just like it does when people complain about the lousy service they get!
Tell us another one Mr. Fabien Courtellemont.
Victor Pulis
Jan 5th, 12:49
Every time I've been on an Arriva bus it was being driven so fast i expected the bus to overturn any second.
Several drivers'behaviour has deteriorated to the same level as the previous drivers.
Charles Micallef
Jan 5th, 12:45
When one compares the number of accidents that Arriva Buses had since they started operation and the number of passengers injured compared with the previous service, i would hate to think what would happen if they had not taken safety extremely seriously!!!...
George Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 12:43
@Luke Bellam 12:12: I agree that we have car drivers who are also careless but mostly it's the other way round where big cars bully small ones!!
Moreover, before Arriva, we had the most arrogant bus drivers that existed but still accidents were by far less!! Now if we did not improved in this aspect when we were rock bottom before, how can someone state that we are safer on the road.
M Spiteri
Jan 5th, 12:39
Bring back the British Bus Drivers that Arriva used in the beginning when the local ones were 'protesting'. They may not have known the roads, but their driving was far (far) better and their manners even better.
We're back to the loud, obnoxious, egocentric drivers of the past.
Many stories to tell of violations, but alas, this space is too limited.
Safety begins with the drivers. Full stop
Lawrence Anastasi
Jan 5th, 12:38
Arriva a fiaso when it started and still a disgrace, what a shame. It is time to let the people responsible for placing Arriva in Malta that you do not agree. Time to take your vote seriously and send a message. This is you only chance. Arriva did not work in the UK so who in their right mind would think it would work in Malta?
A Cotton
Jan 5th, 20:45
Explain why Arriva has not worked in the UK?????
I thing you are very wrong on that statement Mr Anastasi, i work for Arriva in the UK and they work fine all over the UK from the North East, North West, Wales, the Midlands, The Shires and London, plus the Trains in Wales and Cross Country Trains.
NOEL DARMANIN
Jan 5th, 12:36
Safety on the road, a special licence in 3 months, some careless speedy drivers, no stopping and no give ways at roundabouts .,Passengers are always at risk. What about accidents, see it happening all day.
A Cotton
Jan 5th, 20:49
You on about the CAR drivers????
C. Bonnici
Jan 5th, 12:28
If Arriva takes safety so seriously, then why are its drivers so careless? Also, why does Arriva believe that it is better than most Maltese companies? Is it challenging the culture within which it has chosen to operate? Truth is that the Maltese population is unhappy with Arriva. And TM should have never created such a monopoly.
Robert Lewis
Jan 5th, 12:28
Bus no 42 is now operated every hour instead of every 30 mins (improving the service) and the timings on some bus stops havent been changed, "takes punctuality extremely seriously". And after waiting for one hour the driver tells you 'full up'. By the way now 18 months have passed since the introduction of Arriva and its still a flop.
Joseph Micallef
Jan 5th, 12:27
It would be better if Arriva starts offering helmets at the entry point of each bus to be worn during the trips.
C. Agius
Jan 5th, 12:25
Obviously Mr Courtellemont would never deny any safety issues because that is what his reports would say, and he might be a bit far from being right. Arriva open to any comments, yes but only acknowledging them and never acting. I have submitted several comment to them and copying also Transport Malta regarding safety issues but nothing happened. And oh yes buses can driven with doors open, i saw.
Raymond Cutajar
Jan 5th, 12:18
i strongly tend to give credibility to Mr Gary Simmonds' version of events
May one ask - this past week my wife told me that she had to keep on waiting for another bus because the first one which had come was tilted to the extreme on one side ( resting on the bump stoppers ?_ perhaps some form of pneumechanical mulfunction ? )
ONE asks Why bus was not put off service or my wife is a liar ?
Joseph Micallef
Jan 5th, 12:16
Oh come on! Tell it to the marines Arriva, Austin Gatt, GonziPN & Co. Anke meta dahhaltu n-nies gol-bombi, Arriva took safety extremely seriously? Anke the thousands of accidents Arriva was involved in were a result of the extreme seriousness Arriva took safety with? Iddahqux in-nies bikom Austin Gatt & Co.
Joe Muscat
Jan 5th, 12:08
What a load of rubbish.....And does safety include bus drivers speeding?
Mark Amaira
Jan 5th, 12:06
I dont feel safe on arrrivas
Philip Grech
Jan 5th, 12:02
Arriva ‘takes safety extremely seriously’
Not even national monuments are safe since their arrival (Porte De Bombe)
Philip Grech
Jan 5th, 11:58
cont....
Wouldn't it have been safer, for safety's sake, if the driver was instructed to stop at every stop, had whoever is responsible had any common sense?
Chris Tanti
Jan 5th, 11:58
Last Thursday I saw a bendy bus moving with an open door (the one in the middle) near the Roman Villa in Rabat...
Mr G Caruana
Jan 5th, 11:58
A driver indicating left while moving right is no safety. This happened yesterday between 17.30 and 17.40 at the Ta Saura Chapel stop in Rabat with bus no. 53. Also, the bus was moving and the door was open!
Philip Grech
Jan 5th, 11:56
Arriva do not even know the meaning of safety on buses. Yesterday I boarded a bus to Zebbug which had a handwritten sign saying that the bell was not working so the passengers were asked to go directly and ask the driver to stop at the desired bus stop. The passengers were in fact being asked to, for about sixteen times, distract the driver when driving.
Lena Hahn
Jan 5th, 13:13
THIS.
And it's not just on the 61...About 90% of the buses have non-functioning bells.
(and that is *still* one of the minor safety issues when compared to the reckless driving and faulty engines and buses falling to pieces midway to a destination)
Louis Gatt
Jan 5th, 11:55
Arriva should take the punctuality more seriously ... and perhaps bus shelters which are non existent in many localities.
Anthony A. Mifsud
Jan 5th, 11:46
This is a direct challenge, we should be doing Transport Malta job, we should get out our cameras an, take some snap shots on the body work of these articulated buses
Then we can talk and reiterate the Spey standards
Just observe the white Mercedes bendy buses
Ninu...
m piscopo
Jan 5th, 11:45
Arriva 'takes safety extremely seriously' by knowing about the diesel spill from their buses to the peril of other drivers and doing nothing?
joseph saliba
Jan 5th, 11:35
I likeArriva it was a leap forward. Every commuter must know 'how to' and 'what are' the bus safety features. What about an 'evergoing' campaign? Health and Safety/Transport Malta/Arriva.
John Cundy
Jan 5th, 11:33
Did the Arriva spokesperson really mean to say and I quote ''Insisting it had an open door policy that was “perhaps more open than that of any other Maltese company”, ''
Either an exceptional sense of humour or just missing the point?
Andrew Holland
Jan 6th, 10:49
@John Cundy, no I found that ironically funny also! On a related note, I saw a bendy bus pull off from a stop in B'Kara last night with front doors still open. This is not supposed to be possible, right?
Jeremy J Camilleri
Jan 5th, 11:31
When carless for a month, I was forced to use Arriva. The way people were crammed onto their buses was scary to say the least.
B Debono
Jan 5th, 11:26
Should we cry or laugh? God bless the day I will get my license and never will use these nonsense anymore!!!!
C Cassar
Jan 5th, 12:00
So you'd prefer to pollute and congest? How typically Maltese never looking ahead more than their own self interest. Travel in any densely populated European city during commuting hours and you'll also experience crowded and busy transport systems. The only way Malta's over crowded rand congested roads will improve is when more start using the transport system.
B Debono
Jan 5th, 12:41
Thinking ahead of you, I opted for an Hybrid car :)
George Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 12:57
@C Cassar ..Ii've travelled in busy European cities in busy hours and they're mostly within schedule and have never ever seen a bus accident when sometimes staying months there! You never feel the need to report bus drivers either! I had sincerily hoped that I would be using Arriva buses to go to work here but cannot because of the unreliable system!
C Cassar
Jan 5th, 15:12
@B Debono: Manufacturing of hybrid cars casue huge pollution, so epic fail there.
@G.Azzopardi
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/spanish-woman-dies-after-bus-crash-16256182.html
http://www.blottr.com/breaking-news/bus-crashes-sushi-restaurant-regent-street
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-20871331
http://www.wharf.co.uk/2012/11/14-injured-after-bus-crash-on.html
Deo Catania
Jan 5th, 17:27
C Cassar, usually you always blame Maltese bus drivers for accidents and always suggest to arriva to bring over foreign drivers......and now you're posting links to foreign bus accidents. No one can take any of your comments seriously.
B Debono
Jan 5th, 22:47
@ C Cassar
No way going to stay waking up earlier to go to work, just to use the public transport if its not up to standard..
George Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 11:24
Arriva should start putting inspectors on the road to see the dangerous driving on our Maltese roads. How can they make such a statement when we see so many road accidents by their buses. I hope that TM at least admits that road accidents by buses have multiplicated to an unbearable figure!!
Luke Bellamy
Jan 5th, 12:12
Of course no accidents with buses are caused by car drivers. Next time you are on the road pay attention to all the cars and see how many of them pull out in front of others, don't indicate, talk on their phone etc...... And you wonder how buses get involved in accidents.
Credit goes to the bus drivers that have to avoid accidents all day.
Ben Agius
Jan 5th, 12:32
Surely that should be the job for traffic police!! And not only with regards to buses. All vehicles on the road are or should be, subject to safety checks apart from the normal road rules. These should apply to everyone and police should be on the roads - you hardly see any police on traffic duties in Malta.
George Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 12:41
@Luke Bellam: I agree that we have car drivers who are also careless but mostly it's the other way round where big cars bully small ones!!
Moreover, before Arriva, we had the most arrogant bus drivers that existed but still accidents were by far less!! Now if we did not improved in this aspect when we were rock bottom before, how can someone state that we are safer on the road.
George Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 12:50
@Luke Bellam - just follow the comments by others here and it seems to me that you're the odd man out and stating that bus drivers are driving safely!
George Azzopardi
Jan 5th, 12:51
@Ben Agius - my statement in putting Arriva inspectors on the road was surely a sarcatic one to indicate that they do not know what the',re talking about when they speak of safety!
Luke Bellamy
Jan 5th, 13:01
I agree there are some dangerous bus drivers out there, don't get me wrong. But bus drivers are always assumed at fault and this is not the case. A lot of accidents are caused by other drivers who themselves avoid the incident, or are oblivious that they have caused one. ALL road users need to take more care.
Robin Barman
Jan 5th, 13:33
@ Luke Bellamy.... hoorah ! someone who can see past their nose and recognize it's the general poor standards of driving by a large majority of road users, not just ARRIVA drivers. Lets face it these Arriva drivers are being trained to drive these buses by a Maltese run Training Dept. How much experience have any of the staff here got of the types of vehicles and correct training procedures ?
Joe Borg (Senior)
Jan 5th, 14:20
@ Luke Bellam .. my original and main argument was the increasing number of incidents since we have Arriva buses! The common factor in the formula remains Arriva and their drivers unless you're not alleging also that TM is releasing driving licences carelessly or if Traffic police has become less efficient since Arriva started!
A Cotton
Jan 6th, 08:55
Malta Traffic Police, what are they????
Reginald Borg
Jan 5th, 11:06
Yesterday,
I picked the 51 Bus to go to Santa Venera.
It passed the Floriana Stage at one minute before 5.00 p.m.
The female driver was speaking to a close friend of hers all the way to Santa Venera.
This is absolutely not safe for the passengers.
Pippo de Marco
Jan 5th, 10:50
How can a company that purports to take passenger safety 'extremely seriously' allow its buses to be dangerously overloaded to the extent that the drivers view is impeded and the vehicles can barely move ?
Animals on route to slaughter are given more space and respect.
Peter Murray
Jan 5th, 10:21
Given that Arriva "Take safety extremely seriously " then why isn't Arriva health and safety Officer making any announcements-assuming that is they have one? Why aren't our "experts" in this field -the OHSA- not involved in this concern?
Philip Jackson
Jan 5th, 09:53
‘takes safety extremely seriously’ so thats why they drive with their lights on full beam at night, don't indicate or even bother to look when pulling out at junctions or drive with only 1 metre gap to the vehicle in front
Mr Terry Gosden
Jan 5th, 09:34
This article is peppered with strong disciplinary language. Working in a fearful environment does little to improve performance. Maybe this could be sorted if the MTA daily inspectors reports were made available for public scrutiny. After all if goes wrong it may well become a blame game. Another excellent indicator is staff turnover. What are the annual figures?.
Jay Oatmon
Jan 5th, 09:48
Complaints and safety concerns should be raised internally with management and the safety officer. Only after a reasonable time with no improvement should further action be taken. Any complaints by an outsider should be given to the management for their response first, before going to the newspapers - this is just unproved sniping in my view.
Peter Murray
Jan 5th, 11:11
Who is Arriva's Safety Officer sir and if they possess one why has this person remained supine and mute on this serious concern?
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