On October 30, I rode on a 202 public bus, which was on hire from Paramount Garage.

The dishevelled driver was kept company by his vulgar-looking girlfriend who sat close to him while blocking the entrance to the bus.

She wore tight-fitting shorts that barely covered her bottom, chewed gum and talked to her boyfriend while he drove the bus.

Meanwhile, the radio on the hot, windowless bus, with its smelly, grimy plush seats, was blaring out loud music all over the vehicle as if we were all on a joy-ride! What a disgrace for Malta’s image!

On another hired pubic bus, the driver had to get up from his seat to open or close the door manually every time a passenger came up or got down from the bus.

Why does the Transport Minister allow such a shabby bus service in his pique with Arriva?

I’m afraid that, if Arriva had to go, we’d revert to the decrepit, bone-rattling buses of old, with their rude and surly drivers.

My chief concern is about the St Julian’s-Sliema-Valletta route, the busiest bus route on the island.

Were the old route buses to be brought back into service, they would definitely not be able to cope with the large number of passengers who use this route during the busy summer months.

Over the past few years, the number of bus users along this route has increased dramatically, so much so that even the spacious bendy buses could hardly cope with the large number of people waiting at the bus stops along the Sliema and Gżira promenades in the spring and summer months.

I do hope that the Transport Minister will see to it and ensure that we won’t have another chaotic summer – like we did on the buses two years ago!