In light of the recent public transport reform and the task force chaired by the Prime Minister, I wish to draw attention once again to important missing direct transport links, namely to the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (Mcast) in Paola.

There should be direct transport from Ċirkewwa to Mcast, say from 6.30 to 7.30 a.m., every 30 minutes and from Paola to Ċirkewwa from 2 to 5 p.m. every 30/45 minutes according to requirements, as finishing times are variable.

The route should cover only main roads from Ċirkewwa, Mellieħa, St Paul’s Bay, Mosta, Attard, to Żebbuġ, Qormi Mdina Road and Paola. Students in these areas will save on travelling time with a shorter route and avoid using two buses, and avoid Valletta and several major traffic jams such as Lija, Birkirkara, Msida, Pietà, Hamrun-Bombi and Floriana.

The direct buses avoiding Valletta (formerly called express) were always popular.

The reasons for such a route are primarily that Mcast is the only major educational institution  that does not have direct transport from all areas, and that the main headache being tackled by the transport reform is the duration of trips and traffic congestion, not to mention environmental concerns.

There are hundreds of students from north and central Malta and Gozitans who attend Mcast and currently spend hourstravelling to and from the college.

From Mellieħa to Paola one has to go via Valletta, which will takea minimum of four hours including the return trip, under normal conditions.

This waste of time is very discouraging to students, as it increases stress, limits their time for studying/additional part-time courses/socialising/sports activities and so on.

While complimenting the government for the state-of-the-art investment in the new Mcast complex, I feel this should be complemented by an efficient college transport system as enjoyed by other students; it is not fair to encourage students to further their studies at Mcast only for them to face such a hurdle.