Arriva has defended the removal of direct University and Mater Dei Hospital routes, saying the new network served more localities.

The routes were particularly popular with University students, who could board a bus that would take them directly to their place of study without switching buses. This will change, however, and Arriva has mailed 166,000 leaflets to Maltese households to explain what combinations of routes and interchanges replaced the old routes.

“This new network hinges on interchanges enabling travellers to move around the grid as they wish rather than having to divert via Valletta each time. Mater Dei is a prime example of the new way of travelling around Malta by bus, using interchanges to connect to your desired destination,” Arriva (Malta) managing director Keith Bastow said. “While it is a brand new bus network, we appreciate that the public wants to draw comparisons with the old bus routes,” Mr Bastow said of the decision to distribute the leaflets.

He said the company would keep its ear to the ground for feedback on the new routes and use it when it came to the routes being reviewed in six months’ time.

“Arriva is committed to providing a high quality service to international standards, bringing to Malta and Gozo the best transport system possible now and for the next 10 years. We need to work together with the people of Malta and Gozo to achieve that. Your feedback is important to it, so, as you use the services, please let us know what works well for you and what would make services work better for you,” Mr Bastow said.

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