Is it possible that Malta is back to square one with regard to the efficiency of the public transport system? Going by the regular loud and bitter complaints that have been aired by commuters in this newspaper and elsewhere, it looks like Arriva all over again.
It boggles the mind that after so many earnest pledges by this government, whose Transport Minister, Joe Mizzi, appeared to make improvement of the bus service his personal mission, we are witnessing a déjà vu. The complaints about the service run by Malta Public Transport, representing the Spanish company Autobuses de Leon, can hardly be distinguished from those made about Arriva in some of its darkest days.
“The service is lousy at best: longer routes, arriving late at one’s destination with travel and waiting times much longer than previously experienced,” a reader had written in a letter to this newspaper in August 2011.
Now spot the difference: “Due to the draconian changes we are again being made to struggle to reach our destination, ever in fear of turning up late.” The comment was made in a letter to the editor just a few days ago.
More examples. About Arriva: “I should not still have to wait over 40 minutes to catch a bus from Vallettato Sliema.” About Malta Public Transport: “People now have to wait 45 minutes and sometimes an hour for the Valletta bus.”
Complaints about the deterioration of the service have come from across the island: from Mġarr to San Ġwann, Mosta to St Julian’s. One cause of distress seems to be the Mater Dei Hospital/University of Malta hub, catering to thousands of commuters every day. Patients, hospital visitors and students have been lamenting the longer trips, lack of information and general chaos since the recent route changes.
It does not seem that the long-suffering commuters have been effectively informed about what is going on and much less adequately consulted. It may be argued that any change takes some time to get accustomed to, as the transport watchdog has noted.
However, it is simply logical, a basic requirement of customer care, that before making any deep changes to bus routes and timetables (what timetables?), commuters should be properly appraised of them well ahead of time. Instead, the pamphlets that were distributed, website and bus stop notices seem to confuse rather than clarify.
Imagine what tourists are thinking if so many Maltese can’t get a handle on their bus system?
Mr Mizzi said in Parliament that the number of complaints about public transport dropped from 1,599 between July and December 2011 to 616 in the first six months last year. Does he realise commuters might have given up, realising complaints got them nowhere?
The company has now launched a series of meetings with users’ groups to give customers a say in how the operation is run. It said it wanted to listen and gather feedback. This is a belated but most welcome move.
Transport Malta, the regulator, has said it is monitoring the service and does not exclude fine-tuning and making some adjustments. It said it was receiving positive comments as well as negative. That, of course, is a relief.
Still, when readers make comments like, “We commuters have never had it so bad… even if you are lucky enough to get on a bus, you stand with 50 people,” it shows that more than a few tweaks may be needed to raise the standard of service to meet customers’ expectations.
Adjustments are a must and the sooner they happen the better commuters will be served. The changes should not be restricted to timetables and routes but also to political responsibility and regulation.