I am sure many readers have heard the old joke about how many elephants can fit into a mini. This must have been the basis for calculating the feasibility of operating a Park and Ride system from Floriana to Valletta!

The idea was splendid, the location superb and the project worthwhile but the transport service that is being offered at the moment by the operators leaves a lot to be desired.

The modified goods vans have been redesigned (I am not so sure this is the right word to use, in this case) to accommodate far more than would normally be possible. This means that you have to literally squeeze past other passengers to find a seat - not the ideal situation on a hot, humid summer day!

You have to endure an ear-splitting five-minute journey because the driver has decided to share his so-called choice of music radio station with you and your fellow travellers on this journey.

Getting off is also a problem, especially when the van has not been designed for such passenger cargo and the step is, in fact, a simple enhancement to the original running board!

I would suggest, therefore, that we review the service of this public transport seriously. We need to consider all ages and persons of all abilites and disabilities; we need to think about safety on board (the stickers that have been carefully fixed to the back of the seats on these vehicles are no good if the seat belt legislation is not implemented) especially when it comes to cramming the maximum number of persons in these vans - obviously to make the trips as economically viable as possible - without any consideration for health and safety. In short, I feel we need to make a clear distinction between mini-vans and mini-buses! Perhaps operating battery operated mini-buses could be considered a bonus in view of the energy crisis and the economic situation.