Now that Arriva has been through the worst phase of its baptism of fire and that a revision of routes is due this month, perhaps one can hope that buses passing through busy Triq is-Sidra in Swieqi will go to Valletta without passengers having to change at Pembroke.

Senior citizens like me cannot take kindly to having to changeat Pembroke, walk for some 100 metres to the nearest bus stop in St Andrews Road and wait there for a connection. It is rumoured that even if the Pembroke connection is dropped, the buses will still have to go to High Ridge before they take the usual route to Valletta. I would not object to that as long as no waiting and no bus change is involved.

Perhaps Arriva will also consider reverting to the practice of half-hourly departures from Valletta instead of hourly ones.

In closing, lest I be misunderstood, I wish Arriva the success they deserve. They are helping to drag Malta into the 21st century.