Since the Mosta bus terminus was removed from Rotunda Square years ago, Mosta residents have been complaining of the poor service we are being offered. A common sight on bus stops is the large number of people waiting – sometimes in the scorching sun – for a bus to appear and then, when it does, it is full to capacity.

Quite a number of buses daily commute through the busy town of Mosta, all starting their journey from the north and, by the time they reach Mosta, they are, most of the time, packed with tourists and other souls of all nationalities and colour.

Packed like sardines in an unventilated bus without an air-conditioner, in this heat, it is truly a nightmare.

No wonder we come to know of people (especially vulnerable ones) who feel sick. An elderly friend of mine was telling me that while on her way to Għargħur, she couldn’t bear the heat in the bus any longer and got off to continue her destination on foot. No joke for an 80-year old!

Incidentally, this is only one of a long list of problems facing Transport Malta: the behaviour of some bus drivers; air conditioners not functioning properly or dripping water on the seats; buses stopping too far away from the pavement; seats reserved for the elderly occupied by youngsters; buses rarely on time.

I also know of people who applied for their Tallinja card over two months ago and are still without it, paying good money every time they board a bus.

People who complain expect the decent service promised to them before March 2013. Unfortunately, one comes to the conclusion we have gone from the frying pan into the fire. More so when one compares the subsidies given to Autobuses de Leon with those of Arriva: triple.

Let’s do away with nice words and promises.

The Maltese want action.