On December 21, my wife and I arrived at the bus terminus in Valletta at precisely 12.05pm, thinking we were 25 minutes early for the scheduled 12.30pm 83 bus to Santa Luċija. However the digital display on bus bay 11 was indicating that the next bus due was at 12.50pm.

As experience has shown me that these displays are sometimes unreliable I went to the information kiosk to check. The male attendant informed me that the bus would be in time at 12.30pm. I returned to the bus bay and noticed that the intermittent display for the Santa Luċija bus arrival time was off.

We waited past 12.30, past 12.50 and 1pm (the time of the next

service) and still no bus. I returned to the information desk to complain and asked why passengers were being given the wrong information.

This time the woman in charge curtly dismissed me with repetitions of “it’s not us, it’s the control room”. I tried to explain that she was the customer contact at that time and that something must be done but she turned away and called “next” – a textbook example of adding insult to injury.

I find this attitude deplorable. The least these representatives could do is to apologise on behalf of the company for the protracted delay and perhaps offer to contact the control room again for the latest information.

The bus finally turned up at 1.10pm. We have two cars but opt

for Arriva when going to Valetta. I have been contesting people who argue that road traffic has increased because of Arriva. It is about time I eat my words.