I firmly believe that increased utlilisation of public transport is an important step to improve the present chaos on the roads. I am retired but need to travel to different places every day except on weekends.
The bus stop I use is the St Julian’s one, near Pender Gardens. Twice a week I go to Valletta, which is well served. Anybody who goes on the Valletta to St Julian’s trip utilising his own car deserves to enjoy the ensuing traffic jams and parking problems.
On another day, I take bus 233 to the University/Mater Dei Hospital, which runs hourly. Unfortunately, the former direct service along the Regional Road has been substituted by one that runs along the Sliema Front with a considerable increase in travel time. However, on the whole, the service is more than adequate.
Lately, some episodes have started to make life difficult. Recently, the bus did not turn up and, on phoning customer care, I was informed that it had been cancelled as the driver had reported sick.
The hourly service means that any planned lectures or clinics will have to be abandoned. The big private coaches waiting to pick up language school students have started to double park in the bus stop, making it difficult for the passengers to signal and possibly for the bus drivers to see them.
Twice in the last four weeks, the 233 sailed by leaving the passengers stranded. I have protested to the language school people and a few days ago the bus stop was kept clear. I do not know whether it is a coincidence or not.
It is, however, the adventures on route 202, which I use twice a week, that has prompted this piece.
Increased utlilisation of public transport is an important step to improve the present chaos on the roads
It all started when Transport Malta decided that three buses every hour on the Sliema/St Julian’s to Rabat route was too much of a luxury and reduced the service to one every hour. This has meant that, more often than not, the bus is already full at St Julian’s, leaving the passengers stranded for another hour with no certainty that one will be able to get on the next bus. There are also the occasional no shows.
Phoning the efficient customer care ends with the promise that a report will be made.
The prospective hour’s wait will somehow seem shorter. The return journey from Rabat to St Julian’s starting from the Rabat terminus looks easier on paper. Two recent episodes show that the transport service has more tricks up its sleeve.
A few weeks ago, a fair number of hopeful passengers at the Rabat terminus, mostly tourists, were waiting for the bus which was slightly late. Everybody was relieved to see its arrival and, after disgorging its passengers on the opposite side of the road, it approached our stop.
The driver then switched off the route indicator, drove past and cheekily switch it on again once he was beyond the astounded passengers. I have no doubt that no driver would take such a dastardly action without the support and connivance of his superiors.
One recent Monday, the route managed to think up a variant. According to the timetable, the bus should leave on the hour but, as I was approaching in good time, I saw the bus leave. I waived to the driver but to no avail. As this was 2pm, another hour’s wait in the summer heat was not a joke, so I ran to the Saqqajja bus stop where, fortunately, I managed to reach the bus.
I politely demonstrated to the driver that he had left five minutes earlier than scheduled. He apologised and showed me the official timetable he had been asked to follow. This showed that the times had been changed for the bus to leave five minutes earlier. A well-kept secret that is not worth sharing with the passengers.
The Rabat terminus timetable has since been altered to show the correct times.
Not all visitors will want to go to the beach and many of the tourists living in the Sliema/St Julian’s area may wish to visit Rabat and Mdina, putting more strain on the present disservice.
A pleasure to come.
George Camilleri is a retired professional.