I have been visiting Malta and Gozo for most of my life. Indeed, I love the islands so much that they are in my blood.

As you would expect from the Maltese, in all my visits over 35 years, nobody has ever tried to rob me... that is until October 15.

I took the catamaran to Sicily a few days earlier and returned on the evening of October 15 at about 9.30. I needed to travel from where the vessel had docked in Valletta to the bus station to catch my bus. As I disembarked, I was met by a number of taxi drivers. “How much to the bus station,” I enquired. “Fifteen euros”, came the reply.

I was flabbergasted: “Fifteen euros! I can almost see it from here!” “Fifteen euros”, the driver repeated with disdain.

Tourism is vital for Malta, so why are licensed taxi drivers ripping them off? And what, if anything, do the Ministry of Tourism intend to do about it?

I asked the driver why was he not wearing a mask because, as far as I’m concerned, this was literally highway robbery, given that the bus terminus is probably little more than one kilometre from the dock, if that.