Following the publication of new bus routes and amendments, it was most surprising to note that no amendments have been made to improve the disastrous situation existing on Route 41 (Valletta to Ċirkewwa and back).

I invite members of Transport Malta to be in the queues at bus stops in St Paul’s Bay at 7.30 a.m. and later in the morning to experience the anxiety of those waiting there. Bus 41 arrives already full to capacity with standing passengers and does not even stop at all to help those waiting there. People constantly complain because they arrive late at their place of work and even fear they might lose their job!

Waiting at the Valletta bus station in Bay No. 7 to try and catch Bus 41 is another dreadful experience at 12.30 p.m. and 1 p.m. The waiting crowd grows bigger and bigger as the bus takes such a long time to arrive. The scorching sun makes the situation intolerable. People push in an uncivil manner as soon as the bus arrives for fear of being stranded. Does the Maltese public deserve all this? Transport Malta officials should monitor these situations on the spot and see things for themselves and then remedy them with a sense of urgency. Does Transport Malta realise that it has a grave duty towards the Maltese public? Is it aware that in summer the population at St Paul’s Bay, Xemxija, Mellieħa and Għadira triple in size and more and more people want to cross over to Gozo? For this reason Bus 41 running every 30 minutes is proving to be most inadequate. It should run at least every 10 minutes. In addition, Bus 42 to Mosta and Bus 43 to Lija could go as far as Ċirkewwa, too. Trusting that these complaints will not fall on deaf ears!