I have read and watched with amazement, frustration and resignation as the farce that encompasses the bus system in Malta and Gozo unfolds.

Firstly, let me say that as a regular tourist and contributor to The Times, (there will be some who think I shouldn’t interfere), it is we tourists too that use the system and bring much welcome income and employment to these great islands.

I will not comment directly on political issues but I must say that all the moaning and accusations that have gone on over this matter have neither surprised nor disappointed me.

Much has been said and it seems that Arriva have received more than their fair share of criticism. Luckily I have not yet encountered the new system, which seems to have been designed by a committee who seem to have had little idea of what both the public and tourists needed, or indeed how the old system ran. (Maybe they all have official cars!)

What was wrong with the old system were the drivers and the vehicles. In the main, the route system worked well, despite these two drawbacks.

I am fully aware that things in Malta move mighty slowly (except boy racers and traffic wardens!) if at all. There seems little enthusiasm in getting the system right and one has to wonder why so many route changes were made; it seems to make little sense at all.

The reports I get are mixed and filled with frustration and I too am amazed at the time the authorities are taking to get even minor problems fixed. Before we had drivers whose hands were filled with either mobile phones, food (which they would stop to collect during the journey) or cigarettes, and often two of the above were accomplished at the same time! Now sadly we have a reputable company that seems to be trying to operate a hopefully better system with both hands occupied by dithering Maltese officials.

I am aware of the phrase “only in Malta” and am sometimes amazed, amused, frustrated, shocked or horrified at the antics that happen in Malta from time to time under this heading. It is my belief that had Arriva been given control to organise the new system with those who actually knew how it worked and what was needed, then it would be up and running as well as, if not better than, the old one, but with the benefits of better buses, cleaner and more polite drivers.

Overall I am very disappointed but not surprised at how this fiasco has panned out. I expect Arriva is more than frustrated too. It seems that a few heads in the authorities need banging together and some changes made among those who have caused this unnecessary mayhem.

It is some months before I return to Malta again but I am not optimistic that things will have improved that much by then. Such a shame. Those in charge had a chance to make great strides forward for Malta. I just cannot understand how those in any way responsible for frustrating both the passengers and Arriva still have jobs.

Oh well, only in Malta!