Recent changes to Valletta’s circular bus time-table have left elderly people trapped in their homes or facing impossibly long walks, according to a group of senior residents who met in front of Castille this morning to protest against the changes.

“It is us elderly people who are suffering,” Katie Farmillo, 85, told the Times of Malta. “We’ve been forgotten and buried in our own homes. It's as if our votes don't count for anything anymore.”

Ms Farmillo said the decision to halve the frequency of the Valletta circular route 133 service was leading to great hardship, in particular for elderly people making use of this bus for their appointments at the Floriana Health Centre and Mater Dei Hospital.

Although only a handful of people spoke to the press outside Castille this morning, nearly 200 elderly residents have so far signed a petition calling for a return to the former time-table.

Residents also bemoaned the fact that the 9pm end of service in summer (as opposed to 11pm on most other routes) has left them unable to leave their homes without having to endure a long walk back home from Floriana.

Route 133 travels along St Paul Street, turning into Old Hospital Street, then right onto Republic Street and down to Fort St. Elmo before turning left into Fontana Street.

The bus then follows St Sebastian and Marsamxett Street, before re-entering Valletta through St Mark onto Old Bakery Street, exiting Valletta by Great Siege Road to Floriana along Capuchins’ Street towards the Floriana Health Centre exiting through St Francis Street.

Since early last year, the Valletta local council has been engaged in discussions with Transport Malta and the public transport operator seeking improvements to this route.

The main issues included requests for an increase in bus stops, considering the heavy patronage by elderly residents, and more frequent trips.