It was Friday, July 21, when as I do every weekend I anchored in Mellieħa Bay.

The south-westerly wind started blowing and it made our stay on-board uncomfortable. I decided to secure the boat firmly, take the tender dinghy and go ashore. By this time it was almost 1 a.m. on Saturday.

We walked to the bus stop just a few metres from the Mellieħa Bay Hotel. We checked on the bus schedule and noticed that within minutes a bus was due to take us to Paceville. It was the N11 right on schedule and in no time we were in Paceville to board another bus taking us to Sliema. Of course we paid for a night service but it was our choice and suited our requirements.

The driver was extremely helpful and smartly dressed and the coach itself was exceptional. The next morning we took the bus again to pick up my car from the marina and drive to Mellieħa. As the bus stopped in front of the Gżira Gardens, four people boarded the bus. They looked like a family. They kept showing their Maltese passports to the driver as proof that they were locals but without the much- required Malta ID, the driver had no option but to refuse to give them the cheapest rates applicable to all Malta ID holders, whether locals or foreigners.

The passengers looked frustrated and the driver made a big effort to control his temper because at one stage the passports were within a few inches from his eyes.

I do not want to enter into the merits of the differential in fares but the driver was acting as duty bound to charge according to the regulations passed on to him by the company. The passengers stepped down and maybe tried their luck with another driver for a few cents. I found this unbelievable.

Well done Arriva. I am convinced that in no time we shall experience more upgrading and fine tuning, and that by the time the opposition is in government it will not have to deliver its promises to improve the service.