What a noble idea it was to build shelters outside Mdina and in Valletta for those horses who work so hard for their masters and to serve tourists. I am sure these lovable creatures are very grateful for little mercies; after all, they do have their rights, don’t they?

But I wonder; if animals have rights, what about us humans?

To be honest I am not so sure about this because if it were so, commuters would not be left waiting at bus stops for such a long time under the blazing sun.

I don’t know whose brilliant idea it was to build bus shelters made of transparent and/or opaque perspex that not only permits the sun’s rays to penetrate but also intensifies them to create a greenhouse effect.

And to add insult to injury, Transport Malta is not in the least helpful. On the contrary, they seem to do their utmost to make things as difficult as possible.

Recently I felt sorry for scores of commuters at the Ċirkewwa bus shelters, who were breathless, sweating and waiting for their respective buses. The buses were there alright, though not at the bus stop but parked near the terminal with the engine running and the air conditioner on. Someone said that the drivers had to have a break as they had just returned from Valletta and elsewhere.

However, while the drivers had their rest, couldn’t the buses be parked at the respective bus stops so that the poor people, some of them of very advanced age, could at least sit down in the bus and get a bit of relief from that exhausting sun? This would not cost the company anything, and anyway, most buses were 15 minutes late or more.

For instance, though bus 41 was there at 6pm – when it was actually due to leave – it didn’t go to the appropriate stop before 6.15pm. The ferry had arrived at 5.50pm, meaning people were waiting for 25 minutes in the scorching heat.

If we really had human rights would all this have happened? I wonder!

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