Claims by Transport Malta that in 2016 the average punctuality of the bus service reached 94 per cent have raised eyebrows among commuters, who insist that indicator does not tally with the situation on the ground.
The figure was listed in Transport Malta’s 2016 annual report, which gave a brief overview of the performance of scheduled public transport. Spanish company Autobuses de Leon took over the bus service, operated by Malta Public Transport, in 2015.
The new operator receives almost €30 million in an annual government subsidy, three times the amount Arriva, its predecessor, was paid in its last year of operation in 2013.
In 2016, the Spanish company beefed up its fleet by 33 new buses in order to cater for the network rolled out that same year. The report noted that with these vehicles the average age of the bus fleet was 3.8 years, one of the lowest in the EU.
In the year under review, which saw the introduction of the Tallinja card, the number of passengers increased by 8.5 per cent over 2015, to 43.3 million.
The review also focused on route reliability and punctuality, two key indicators of the quality of service. The transport watchdog noted that measurements were being taken across the entire network during all operational hours through GPS devices installed on the buses.
It transpired that in 2016 the average route reliability increased to 95 per cent, up by two per cent on the previous year, and by five per cent over Arriva in 2013.
Furthermore, average route punctuality in 2016 stood at 94 per cent, which was one per cent higher than in 2015 and three per cent higher than in 2013.
However, when this newspaper sought the reaction of commuters who use buses on a regular basis, we were met with disbelief, and several took the data with a pinch of salt.
Aid meant to compensate for losses on certain routes
While the majority acknowledged the service had improved, the overall sentiment was that the quality leap promised when the subsidy was trebled had not yet fully materialised.
“Boarding a bus from Sliema during the morning or afternoon rush hour is next to impossible, as all buses are full,” was one of the most common complaints.
Others said that in summer the problem spread to areas like Għadira Bay and Buġibba, with a negative impact on commuters in St Paul’s Bay and Mellieħa.
Moreover, there are still occasional incidents of buses not showing up at all despite the electronic messaging system indicating they should be due.
Criticism of the service was especially rife last Saturday, when thousands flocked to the capital for the Valletta 2018 opening ceremony, only to face an ordeal to find a bus home. However, the operator blamed lack of crowd control measures for the delays.
Meanwhile a transport ministry spokeswoman told the Times of Malta that last year the subsidy remained at par with that for 2016 at €29.2 million. This brings the total amount of taxpayer money given to the Spanish operator so far to €81 million. For 2018, the subsidy is estimated to be comparable to the past two years, the spokeswoman said.
The ministry justified the financial aid, saying it was meant to compensate for losses incurred by the operator to provide service on certain routes reaching sparsely populated areas, as they were “not sustainable”.
While acknowledging that there were still a number of challenges, the ministry noted that more people were using buses, partly due to a bigger influx of foreign residents and tourists and “a booming economy”.
Such factors combined with the limitations of our road network provide major hurdles to achieving the bus service we strive for, the ministry said.
However, the issue is being addressed through a holistic master plan and a strategy which were finalised last year, this newspaper was told.
Road infrastructure projects, incentives and initiatives are all geared towards more sustainable transport, where public transport will remain a major pillar, the ministry remarked.