As I learnt to drive in Malta half-a-century ago, I know to psych myself up before collecting my rental car at the airport.

The first 10 minutes on the road always bring a rush of adrenalin to the head where it stays for the rest of my annual visit, at the end of which my defensive driving skills arewell honed.

Nothing that other drivers might do surprises me. I have not scraped or been scraped these past 50 years. Of course luck has played a small part. However, last week I was lulled and shocked twice by those I would expect to be driving at the highest standard.

Before entering the roundabout at Msida I had observed a bus a full 30 metres away coming down the slope from the opposite direction. I entered the roundabout and was nearly halfway round when I realised that this bus had continued to drift down the slope and was not stopping at the roundabout and was now abeam two metres short of ramming my small car.

Acceleration on my part gained survival as this king-of-the-road slipped past my stern.

On my last day having returned my car to the airport rental parking lot I was walking to the terminal now in fully relaxed mode as not driving.

Opposite the departures section there is a marked pedestrian crossing with a bus stop a few metres to its left.

When I stepped onto the crossing I observed a stationary bus. I was halfway across when this bus started rolling towards the crossing. It just kept coming and I had to skip out of its way as otherwise I would have been knocked over. Just as well that I am a still fit and agile septuagenarian, and lucky!

Do the bus drivers ever get regularly checked for their safe driving competence?