Hundreds of people who attended the Joseph Calleja concert on Saturday ended up stranded for hours because there were no buses to take them home.

Many decided to travel by bus to avoid getting stuck in traffic, but they were forced to seek alternative modes of transport late at night when no buses were available to take them back home.

Many had no alternative but to call a taxi to get back home. But since the number of taxis was limited, many had to call family and friends to ask for a lift.

The company will look at strengthening its night service, which has proved to be very popular
 

Malta Public Transport general manager Konrad Pulé confirmed that there was no special service laid out for the event, adding that the normal night service was in operation. “When planning for big events, we usually look at previous editions and decide whether or not to provide a special service depending on the number of passengers in previous years,” Mr Pulé said.

He said that although for other big events held in Valletta, such as the Notte Bianca and the Isle of MTV concert, the company did operate a special service, Mr Calleja’s concert did not usually require such arrangements to be made.

READ: Bocelli sings Calleja's praises

While asking those who had experienced any problems to come forward, Mr Pulé insisted that the company would be looking at strengthening its night service, because in recent months, the service had proved to be very popular.

GROWING USE OF NIGHT BUS SERVICE

“Over the past two months, we have tripled our night service and this has proved to be extremely popular, with the number of passengers using it also tripling.

READ: More night buses between Valletta and St Julian's

“Operating at night is a challenge, but we are seeing a clear signal that people want such a service. Therefore, we are looking into extending it further. We even introduced a new disco bus to popular clubs during the weekend. This is all part of our commitment to improve our night bus services even further,” Mr Pulé said.

Joseph Calleja and Andrea Bocelli on stage on Saturday night after their spectacular concert.Joseph Calleja and Andrea Bocelli on stage on Saturday night after their spectacular concert.

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