Much has been written about the new transport system debacle. Arriva was accused of many shortcomings and the no-show of almost half of its drivers on the first day of operations was accepted at first as the major excuse.

Yet, unfortunately, planning disasters are emerging. Commuters are realising that Transport Malta is also to blame for the chaos. Old functioning bus routes were wiped out to be replaced with bizarre alternatives. The Mtarfa (51), Dingli (52), Rabat (53) routes are the classic examples. In this case, each bus should theoretically leave Valletta every 30 minutes with a 10-minute interval in between. But Transport Malta planners are obviously from Mars. Valletta to Rabat takes more than 30 minutes to cover.

It trails through Ħamrun, Fleur-de-Lys and Attard, it attends more than 20 stages in normal traffic circumstances, stops at the numerous traffic lights and a handful of zebra crossings.

So how should Dingli and Mtarfa, two detached towns which geographically are further away from Rabat, possibly make it in 30 minutes? The result is waiting at Valletta terminus for 45 minutes and seeing 51, 52 and 53 appear suddenly altogether from now­here. To add insult to injury, the old Birkirkara 71 route which went through Ħamrun was eliminated, and instead all Ħamrun and Fleur-de-Lys residents have no other option but to take 51, 52 or 53 to the inconvenience and frustration of the Mtarfa and Dingli residents who don’t have any other alternative but wait specifically for 51 and 52 buses respectively.

People are fed up with this miserable service. They don’t know when the next bus will happen to come by while waiting in non-sheltered stages. The time for excuses is up. Transport Malta, kindly rectify urgently.