I think Arriva is making a big mistake in starting their new bus service in July. They couldn’t have picked a worse time!

In July, Malta’s busiest bus route – the St Julians/Sliema-Valletta route – is crowded beyond capacity and chaos reigns supreme.

Catching a bus at this time of the year along the Sliema promenade at about 11 a.m. or during the afternoon rush hour is almost impossible because of the large crowds of foreign students, tourists and locals waiting at the bus stops. In July,riding a bus from Sliema to St Julians from 8 p.m. onwards is an ordeal as you’re jostled in a noisy bus packed like a can of sardines.

It doesn’t make sense to start a new bus service during Malta’s summer madness and chaos.

I think that Arriva should postpone the inauguration of their bus service till October, when things quieten down a bit, and the hordes of rowdy foreign students have gone back home.