Since Autobuses de Leon took over from Arriva, I dread taking a bus from Valletta to St Julian’s because I don’t like waiting for the bus at the bottom of a ditch, especially after dark or in the cold.

To make it worse, the buses from Valletta to St Julian’s are not frequent enough to cope with the constant stream of people who emerge from Valletta and then pile up at the bus stop in the ditch. When the bus finally arrives, there’s a rush for the entrance, and passengers are packed inside the bus like a can of sardines.

After the Valletta bus terminus was extended all the way down to the ditch, I’ve used public transport to Valletta and back to St Julian’s only when I really had to. I thank my lucky stars that, so far, I never had to wait for the St Julian’s bus during a storm – or in the rain – in that dreary ditch.