Era about to End

Imagine taking an area with a population almost exactly the size of Dorset and or Bristol and completely wiping bus services away and starting again. The results probably wouldn’t be too different from the current set up. Now, do the same in Malta…

No matter how nostalgic we may feel about the typically iconic Maltese bus, why should the Maltese languish in the 1970s and 1980s? Why shouldn’t Malta benefit from the improvements that modern vehicles with low floor technology might bring?

It’s interesting that Malta is somewhat close to the original model envisaged by the late Nicholas Ridley MP during the passage of the Transport Act 1985. He felt that artisan busmen should own and operate their vehicles. It wouldn’t’ve worked in England and it has only done so to a degree in Malta. There’s been little investment beyond pimping up an owner’s individual ride. That doesn’t help older or disabled people and certainly not those with shopping & luggage.

At a stroke, in exactly a fortnight, Malta goes low floor. In one swoop, Arriva comes in with 264 buses, mostly new, some ex-London artics. Currently, there are 508 buses on Malta and such an unnecessarily high fleet total when compared to Arriva’s demonstrates the somewhat arcane and inefficient system on the island. The average age of the bus fleet mirrors almost exactly peak summer temperatures in degrees—35. That’s the *average* age. We know there are a handful of newer low floors to counter the ancients.

Arriva has been gradually populating its website with information. Timetables are now in place but this window on Arriva’s new network’s not been without controversy. The recently added journey planner, for example, has undergone modification to remove timings because, apparently, it distorts passengers’ perception—some transfer journeys not should by the planner might actually prove quicker than the longer-than-present through journeys shown. Arriva will get the kicking for this when, in fact, the routes result from the government’s consultants. This is also proving controversial, as some communities feel they are worse off than their neighbours. ’Twas ever thus but it focuses the mind when you are effectively starting from scratch.

Arriva’s main routes are numbered 1 to 91 and are usually 11, 21, 31, etc. They all radiate from the capital, Valletta, as nearly all currently do. Additionally, Arriva has a number of non-Valetta services, to avoid changes at the capital, and these are numbered from 101. Night buses are prefixed with “N” and airport expresses with “X”. Gozo routes are 3xx.

The mammoth project’s been overseen by former Hants & Dorset man Piers Marlow who, before moving to Arriva, was one time managing director of People’s Provincial, post-James Freeman.

“Satisfaction is second to none and we are committed to replicating this success and delivering great change in Malta.” Arriva Malta project director, Piers Marlow

But some will still shed a tear for the passing of what is the most unique system of transport in Europe. People will remember the gaily-painted yellows and oranges, the customisations, and the rebuilds, the lack of informed destination displays. They may even remember the Christian iconography often displayed on buses in the form of holy pictures. The country is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. But this doesn’t appear to have helped the poor tourist, much disliked by surly Maltese bus drivers. Will Arriva really be able to retrain them? Actually to give change to tourists? And be nice?

And here’s a further controversy. Arriva’s training programme’s been on-going for much of the year, in preparing raw recruits. During the coming fortnight, a high proportion of existing drivers are now being re-trained to Arriva’s expectations and there are concerns that this will affect last two weeks-worth of bus service by reducing the pool of available staff.

As for the old buses, they continue to have a charm about them that many will definitely not find in the new generation of vehicles. But, they said that of the Routemaster, the Lodekka and the Bedford OB. And we survived, even grew our markets. Here’s to Arriva Malta.