With a well-developed network and direct routes now in place from each locality to both Valletta and Mater Dei, Transport Malta remains firmly focused on ensuring that Arriva deliver the level of service as contemplated in the contract, Transport Malta CEO Stanley Portelli said today.
In a statement, Transport Malta said that since the introduction of the new direct routes to Valletta on November 6, it has been monitoring critical routes for passenger waiting time and bus scheduling from the same bus stop during the morning peak hours.
This monitoring is intended to establish whether there exists a trend with regard to repetitive failures on passenger waiting time and bus scheduling so that if a pattern of delay exists it would fine Arriva as four months have elapsed since the introduction of the service.
TM said it noted an improvement in the service on a number of routes which had been problematic in the past.
In particular during the morning peak (7 to 11 a.m.) all trips were performed on Route 31 (Naxxar), Route 62 (Siggiewi) and Route 91 (Marsascala) for the five days from Monday to Friday last week.
Arriva provided extra trips on Route 31 and Route 62 to address capacity issues and deployed articulated buses on Route 91 to address the problem being encountered by passengers boarding at Fgura.
The performance of Route 2 (Vittoriosa), Route 3 (Kalkara), Route 41 (St Paul's Bay), Routes 51, 52, 53 (Mtarfa, Dingli, Rabat) Route 71 (Zurrieq), Route 72 (Qrendi) and Route 82 (Birzebbuga) were not consistent throughout the week as on some days gaps were experienced in the services because of missing trips, causing delays for commuters.
TM advised Arriva that such gaps were unacceptable and Arriva was instructed to take all necessary action to ensure that the service operated across all routes operated to fixed headways in accordance with the schedule.
The benefit of the extra buses Arriva has committed to deploy is already having a positive impact and as more are deployed this benefit is expected to be felt across the network.
TM confirmed that 12 extra buses were deployed last week and the number would increase each week so that by the beginning of December all 36 extra buses would be available for deployment during peak hours.
Mr Portelli said that a direct communication channel between TM's control room and that of Arriva is in place to ensure problematic routes are highlighted in real time to allow Arriva to deploy extra buses as required.
The new direct Valletta routes introduced on November 6 were positively received but a couple of them, such as Route 35 (Gharghur) and Route 55 (Lija) experienced teething problems.
"The routes and bus stops that we have been monitoring this week, will continue to be monitored next week as repetitive failures over a two-week period constitute a pattern of delay subject to fines," Mr Portelli said.
TM thanked the police for their support in assisting with traffic management at key junctions throughout the network this week.