I would like to express my views on the present public transport situation. The bus terminus in Valletta has been extended into St James Ditch. This has resulted in a number of problems.

There is no bus shelter in the ditch, so passengers waiting for at least half an hour or more are exposed to the harsh elements of the weather, namely rain, wind and scorching sun. In the meantime, many of the former bus parking slots remain empty. These have the appropriate shelters in front of them.

People with special needs and senior citizens have to walk all the way from Kingsgate to St James Ditch, which takes at least 15 minutes. To make matters worse, some of these commuters are often carrying their shopping with them.

Some bus routes which started every 20 minutes now start every 30 minutes. Bus numbers 37 and 38, which one could easily board from Mosta to Mater Dei Hospital, have now ceased, after having been replaced by bus No. 49, which is worse. To cap it all, one journey in the south, which lasted one hour, now takes two hours.

I wonder if commuters, including students, were consulted before the changes were implemented. In my honest opinion, I believe passengers were better served before when all the buses at Valletta were boarded from the former main station.

Finally, a word on the drivers. The majority are courteous, helpful and polite but, of course, there are exceptions. For example, a few drivers don’t stop even though several passengers ring the bell well before approaching the bus stop.

Other drivers do not brake slowly on approaching a bus stop, resulting in the standing passengers being thrown forward.

I sincerely hope that matters will be rectified soon for the benefit of commuters.

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