A bendy bus which mounted a centre-strip and blocked Mtarfa Road this morning had slipped a short distance backwards after it developed a fault and was parked, Arriva said this afternoon.

Replying to questions by timesofmalta.com, a company spokesman said:

"The incident in question involved an Arriva bus which was out of service and parked on the side of the uphill on the way to Mtarfa due to a technical fault. The driver informed Arriva control room about this fault and Arriva staff were immediately dispatched to the area.

"Indeed, the bus was being attended to when it slipped a short distance backwards and climbed on the central strip. The area was closed to traffic and and no passengers were on board at the time of the incident."

The spokesman said that the company has a set procedure in place which came into effect in similar situations, whereby an investigation was immediately initiated to gather and examine all details related to the case.

The bus was undergoing full and extensive inspection to understand, identify and repair the fault, he said,

"This happens whenever a bus stops and is part of Arriva’s efforts to guarantee its clients safe and comfortable journeys," the spokesman said.

Picture: Maltese Roads Traffic Updates