Many bus commuters to Valletta this morning were late for work, but most were quite forgiving of the new bus service.

"It's the first day, so it's to be expected, we have to be patient," said Marija Bajada from Sliema, who was clocking in late for work.

Commuters from the south of Malta complained of lack of frequent buses. One man told timesofmalta.com that he decided to walk it all the way from Paola, after waiting for more than 40 minutes.

Commuters from Birzebbugia and Naxxar also said that they had to wait for more than 20 minutes for a bus.

"I'm running late for work, and I can't sue Arriva for my pay cut," said one commuter, adding however, that "it's the first day, hopefully things will improve.

At Mater Dei, many people said it took them two hours to get there. An Arriva assistant was being bombarded by questions amid many complaints, although some people were prepared to make concessions.

Many buses were also turning up without destination information.