Johnny Depp's driving skills vs Mr Bean's sense of humour

I thank both Mr P. McNulty (The Sunday Times, December 28) and Mr C. Burn (January 11), for they both highlight some realities we are experiencing on our island.

As a bus driver and operator, I take pride in providing passengers with the best possible service, although many things hinder me from doing so. For many, a bus driver does not seem to be a respectable job. I must emphasise that our duties go beyond driving a bus from point A to point B. That alone is the most annoying, but we must not forget that we earn a living by transporting the most valuable merchandise, i.e. people. Being just one passenger or a full load on board does not make any difference, as life is priceless.

Thus, I would attribute Mr McNulty's comments to his sense of humour, as otherwise I would say that his criticism is rather unjustified and destructive. Judging by his comments, he was either seasick on his way back from Gozo, or else enchanted by the nymph Calypso, as he could not decide the exact number of buses parked at the quayside. First he makes reference to a single yellow bus, and then all of a sudden there were two more 45s parked alongside the ancient battered yellow bus he boarded.

Regarding the driver's driving skills I cannot comment, as I have no idea of the driver concerned. Nevertheless, we do succeed in transporting people to their destinations without any injuries or casualties. That's where we have premonitions, see disasters and thank God for miracles as we do manage not to injure any of the people running around such a disorganised terminus as the one in Valletta.

Furthermore, Mr McNulty's comments regarding the first bus and the driver who drove him to Cirkewwa indicate he is difficult to please. Neither did he appreciate a brand new bus that has been in service for just a couple of months, nor the driver whom he described as moody and irritable, or maybe just meant reserved.

There is no point in trying to justify what is wrong. By doing so, we would be digging our own grave. Definitely, we need to reflect and ask ourselves both as an association, and as a nation, why are fewer people every year using public transport?

In today's world, where everything is based on and supported through communication, there is no room for accusing this or that organisation. In each and every field, we need to find ways to join forces so that the end result of our efforts together will give a positive outcome.

Unfortunately, with reference to public transport, there seems to be no communication between the two parties concerned, i.e. the Public Transport Association and the Public Transport Authority (ADT). We all know that we have been considering replacing our fleet of vehicles for years, during which time a number of vehicles booked for replacement have been modified and refurbished, while others have suffered. Were the two parties to find an agreement, and substitute the better maintained buses with other vehicles such as the one mentioned by Mr McNulty, thus replacing the latter by new ones, his comments regarding the condition of the bus concerned could have been avoided.

Such a solution would have enabled us to provide a much better service to our customers, since we cannot afford to replace our whole fleet all at one go. The fact that it took all these years for us to start replacing these vehicles shows that we are missing the right solutions. We must commit ourselves, and unless we draft a plan for public transport spread on a number of years we will end up with an accumulation of problems.

Vital elements in a modern organisation are public relations and marketing, together with corporate image. I believe that as an association, we lack these very important things. With the passing of years, our image has suffered, thus we have to promote our services and ourselves. Proof of this is that we often get people criticising our services, often by those who have not used public transport for years.

Everyone is aware that our roads cannot sustain the ever increasing load of private cars, and that air pollution levels are a problem, thus we need to find ways to make public transport more attractive. This can only be achieved if the authorities give public transport some priority, as it is not just the condition of the bus or the behavior of the driver that makes a trip by bus worth it or convenient.

It is well known that this sector enjoys the worst in working conditions. We are rightly criticised for the way some drivers behave and treat customers. Bad behaviour cannot be excused, but we must ponder the reasons behind such behaviour. Present working conditions are enough to transform the best educated and genial of drivers, let alone those attracted to the job because they have no other option.

Even these, we must bear in mind, form part of Maltese society, including the teenagers who are still illiterate when they leave school. It is not the association that creates them, but if we improve their working conditions we would improve our services.

The initiative by the Malta Tourist Authority and the ADT to start training those involved in public transport is welcomed and has been long awaited. There are other things, such as infrastructure and facilities that make our work more difficult.

Indisputably road furniture such as signs, poles and bus shelters, can be better placed, while making sure that pavements are lower than the vehicle's front overhang height specified by the ADT. The angle of approach to the kerb at the bus bay should also be increased so that it would be easier for the driver to manoeuvre the bus to facilitate boarding, while information regarding public transport schedules and services should be displayed at bus stops.

The authorities concerned should see to it that bus bays are left clear for public transport vehicles, especially in busy areas such as Sliema and St Julian's. Bus termini should be equipped with shelters, public conveniences both for passengers and drivers and appropriate recreational areas for drivers.

With reference to training, I am proud I formed part of the group of operators who were chosen to attend a course in Portsmouth. During this course we attended various lectures related to the way public transport operates, customer care and dealing with people with special needs. On reflection, in one way or another, every one of us is a person with special needs. Probably, being human beings with normal families, our most special need is to be loved, respected and appreciated.

Thus, I would invite the ADT to promote the use of public transport, and not provoke our members by saying on various occasions that we do not offer a good and reliable service. Unquestionably, our country needs public transport, thus positive results can only be obtained if we really want to, if we manage to join our forces and merge our expectations.