Arriva health and safety (1)

Regarding your report on Arriva drivers’ concern about health and safety (January 3), I too would like to point out other shortfalls in this regard.

For instance, why does Arriva insist that its drivers fill the bus to the maximum 33 passengers standing, when the buses are only designed to take 20 people standing? Why do drivers insist that passengers stay standing way beyong the stairs leading to the back part of the bus when this goes against every rule of health and safety, as there are no hanging bar or straps to steady oneself?

The standard of brakes on Arriva buses would not pass a VRT test. They brake abruptly, causing passengers to lose their balance or fall.

The trouble with Arriva is a shortfall of buses and drivers, which is now unacceptable after 18 months in service.

Why are we still giving millions of euro in subsidies to Arriva for a service which is not functioning at all? I live in Rabat and you can wait up to an hour for a Valletta bus and then three come along, one after another; the same can be said for the Valletta to Rabat service.

Hospital appointments cannot be kept because the service never keeps to its timetable, which can leave you waiting for just as long and then have two buses come in a space of two minutes. We surely deserve a better service.