I was stunned to read (October 24) that Malta Public Transport won the Bus Excellence Award for “its outstanding public bus service” in the 2017 IRU Smart Move Awards.

I can only assume that IRU secretary general Umberto de Pretto was comparing it to the transport in Italy or, perhaps, he has never visited the island let alone waited eternally on a bus stop in incessant heat.

One of our favourite pastimes is sitting in the balcony of our flat in Mellieħa, especially at 6-7pm, watching crowds of (mostly) tourists waiting for a bus that either never comes or shoots past without stopping, I assume because it’s full.

Considering these buses are starting off from about two to three stops down the road, or coming from Ċirkewwa, it’s mind-boggling how dispatchers cannot figure out that more buses need to be dispatched half full to allow for pick-ups en route. How do we expect tourists to travel round the island if the service is atrocious?

Our heart goes out to them, waiting in that heat! We sometimes shout advice to them, like take any bus and change en route or go to Sliema via Valletta etc. It would probably be quicker.

We have witnessed incidents where waiting passengers shouted obscenities at drivers and, in some instances, threw beer cans at the bus with frustration.

He writes: “My sincere congratulations to all applicants and to our winners in particular for their impressive commitment and efforts into making bus and coach transport a high-quality service for passengers and city visitors setting the example for our entire industry.”

What a joke!

I’m simply amazed that Malta Public Transport had the audacity to apply and even more amazed that de Pretto could endorse such nonsense. What universe is he in?