I have three grandchildren, aged 12, 11 and eight, who twice a week come to my house in the evening; we go out together and they sleep over and then return home the next morning.

Six months ago we managed to train them to catch the bus and all was going well. Using the previous transport system the bus fare was 47c each, that is €1.41 coming and going back home the next day – €2.82 in all for the three of them. The cost with Arriva has now risen to €7.80 from €2.82 – a rise of €4.98. Each child, even the eight-year-old, pays €1.30 each trip.

Can anyone please explain why this rise has been allowed tohappen – an increase of €4.98! In other countries the one-day ticket normally covers 24 hours from the time one starts using it. Perhaps Arriva does not yet have the technology to provide this service.

If we were to have this service the problem would not be so bad and night duty workers may also benefit from it as was stated in the papers a few weeks ago. The children will have to spend €1.50 each on a return ticket, that is €4.50 in all compared with the €7.80 that they are paying now for one visit. At present they come to visit twice a week, meaning they have to fork out €9.96 more every week.

I must also mention that last Saturday a 10-minute trip from Blata l-Bajda to Tarxien took one hour 15 minutes – another hurdle. Who planned out all this mess? The public was never consulted about these details.Shame on the Transport Ministry to allow such a situation to arise. Arriva’s managementare surely out of touch with the people.

I was very critical of the shortcomings of the previous transport system, but what we have now is worse. I sincerely hope this letter does not fall on deaf ears.