Passengers on board a public transport bus were not amused on Wednesday to have to wait until an altercation between the driver and a passenger was smoothened out before their journey could resume.

The incident happened because of what is apparently a mix-up in the route that was taken by the driver, which was different than the one shown on the destination display on the vehicle.

The bus, which left Valletta after 11am, was on its way to Mater Dei Hospital when one of the passengers complained that it should first go to Sliema. The driver insisted that he was using the route as established, at which point the passenger remarked that this was different from what was on display.

The argument heated up and the driver stopped the bus, insisting that for him to continue the journey the passenger in question had to leave the vehicle. At this point other passengers intervened to try to calm the situation.

The passenger who had created the issue left the vehicle after some minutes – telling the other passengers that he was only doing so because he respected them – and it was only at the stage that the driver got back behind the steering wheel to continue the journey.

As for the passenger, well, he had to wait for another bus.