The new bus routes being introduced by Transport Malta tomorrow did not address complaints made by tourists, the president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, George Micallef said yesterday.

“We have not come across any measures that will specifically address the concerns raised by most tourists,” Mr Micallef said, adding the MHRA was neither consulted nor had it received any information that would give it some comfort that things would improve.

“We have recently asked Transport Malta to explain to us the planned changes as of September 11 that will lead to an end to the problems but we have heard nothing,” he complained.

Mr Micallef questioned whether there was the will to fix problems related to the transport system given that Transport Minister Austin Gatt remarked earlier this week that he expected complaints on the bus service even after10 years of operation.

A Transport Malta official, Mr Micallef said, had described the service in July as “disastrous” and, while he acknowledged an improvement, he said the feedback received from visitors was very negative. According to recent surveys, over 300,000 tourists had used the new bus system.

“We need a public transport that facilitates and enhances the visitors’ experience in Malta. However, the service being provided is frustrating tourists and the situation has to be tackled without further delay,” Mr Micallef said.

He flagged the Sliema/St Julians and the Buġibba/Qawra areas as being among the problem hotspots.

“Complaints continue to flow in. Just this very morning, we received complaints from tourists who yesterday waited on a bus stop in the main road of St Paul’s Bay from 8.15 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. after which they gave up because all the buses that passed were full. These sorts of complaints are very common,” Mr Micallef added.

The MHRA said the main reasons cited by commuters using the service appeared to be three: that bus routes were far too long and, consequently, took them a very long time to get anywhere; that buses were often full when they arrived at bus stops; and that the advertised bus schedules were unreliable.

Transport Malta announced that new bus routes would be introduced tomorrow and other routes would be modified according to feedback by the public.