Older adults generally have fond, nostalgic memories of how things were when few could afford private transport to get to and from work, frequent entertainment venues on weekends, or shop in Valletta or Sliema. The only available mass public transportation then was the bus system operated by a few private operators with uncomfortable buses that provided an adequate service that was reliable enough to get you to where you wanted to be fairly on time.
Things, of course, have often changed for the better for some but not for many others. Ideally, a public transportation system is an economical and environmental alternative to driving cars, as it lightens the burden of congestion in cities, or even small, heavily built countries like Malta. A good public transport system also balances social inequality by providing an affordable, reliable alternative to those who cannot afford to own or operate a car.
After more than two decades of trying to modernise Malta’s public bus service, some progress has been made. But it would take a stubborn optimist to believe that the service today is acceptable for the country’s needs.
Buses are much better than they used to be. Drivers are generally more passenger friendly. Some busy roads have “buses only” traffic lanes to reduce delays in our congested road network. But the acid test for any public bus service financed by taxpayers is whether it meets travellers’ expectations and reduces private transportation use.
Not much thought is being given to ensuring that bus schedules and routes are revised regularly to cater for bottlenecks in the system.
Public bus operators face a combination of elements that are beyond their control. Some of these factors include inadequate traffic management measures, parking issues, and sprawling towns and villages to cater for population growth. But other problems are undermining the efficiency of the public transport system.
Malta’s public transport operators do not have competitive pressures that often drive businesses to strive to satisfy the expectations of their clients. Introducing free public transportation was a good move, but an hour’s drive on our roads will soon reveal that it has not done much to relieve road congestion. Most people still use private transport as the buses are unreliable to get you from A to B on time.
Some areas suffer more than others. For instance, getting a bus from Naxxar to Valletta is arduous. This large town is served by two main routes – the 31 and 45 – that both leave from Buġibba, another very large town. By the time the buses leave the Buġibba terminus, they are often already almost full. They pick up other passengers from the bus stop on the route to Mosta, another large town. By the time they reach Naxxar, they are not only late but full, leaving waiting travellers utterly frustrated.
Not much thought is being given to ensuring that bus schedules and routes are revised regularly to cater for bottlenecks in the system. The public bus operators claim that more passengers are using the service.
Mellifluous mission statements and misleading statistics used by public transport operators will not convince more people to use the free bus system.
This is due to the increasing number of foreign workers who do not have, or cannot afford, private transport, the increase in tourists after the pandemic, and a rising number of mainly older adults who can no longer deal with the stress of driving on our congested roads to get to their hospital appointments. All the rest, including the great majority of students, use their private transport despite the arduous task of finding parking places in busy commercial centres.
Mellifluous mission statements and misleading statistics used by public transport operators will not convince more people to use the free bus system. Potential public transport users need to see service-level agreements that guarantee they get to their destination in a reasonable time. They also need to be convinced that the schedules of bus frequency displayed on bus stops can be relied on and that buses will leave and arrive reasonably on time.
Transportation problems are frustrating, but they are soluble. Efficient public bus service is the only short-term solution to ease the traffic congestion problem. But this cannot be achieved by public relations exercises by the operators or the transport regulators. People will only leave their cars at home if and when they are convinced that bus travel is reliable and less stressful than driving on busy roads.
A public bus service largely financed by taxpayers must have key performance indicators that measure travellers’ satisfaction levels, as well as punctuality and frequency. A regular mystery traveller exercise can gauge these indicators and their publication will enable travellers to confirm whether the service really caters for their needs.