The government’s plans to replace the old chitty-chitty-bang-bang buses with super low floor Euro III engine buses is what everyone is expecting in order to see more usage of public transport as well as its improvement.

Government statistics for February show that there has been an increase in bus usage when compared to the same month the previous year. In February this year, there was an 11.4 per cent increase in bus tickets sold.

Over the last few years, 142 buses have been replaced with super low floor buses and now the government is planning to replace more buses as part of its plans to improve the public transport service in Malta. The idea is to introduce different types of buses in order to create a dynamic network.

This is not the first time that the government mentioned public transport reform. There have been several agreements in the past which were meant to improve the bus services, but despite all the talk and hype, no particular tangible improvement has been made, especially in regard to servicing the network. There is no specific culprit and one would have to say that bus owners themselves, the Malta Transport Authority and the Government are all responsible for various hiccups in the process.

Deals were reached for an increase in fares coupled with a promise to improve the service. The tariffs were raised, but the improvement was only marginal and the service still leaves much to be desired. Which is a pity. A better bus service would not only mean higher patronage, it would mean taking cars off the road, and there would be less pollution from car emissions. The environment would gain considerably. And what’s more, the higher patronage would also translate into more earnings for the bus drivers. The operators cannot be against that.

With all the parking problems we have in Malta, and congestion on the roads, a more efficient and reliable transport service would certainly be able to attract more passengers. And with the increase in the cost of fuel, a proper public transport would deter people from using their own cars, preferring to use the public transport system. However, that transport system being what it is, many people still prefer to use their own cars just because they do not think that the public transport system offers them the service they would like to have.

And this is what the government is after. The government has made a reform in the public transport sector as one of its main aims. Public transport should be upgraded to such an extent that people would opt to make use of it rather than their own vehicles. This would mean fewer cars on the road – and therefore less pressure on the country’s infrastructure as well as a better environment.

Maybe not all buses will be replaced but at least the bulk would have been replaced and brought up to European standards. The idea to introduce smaller buses is not a bad one at all, in view of the size of many roads in Malta and these could be used as link vehicles between, for example, the village square in Bahrija and Rabat. In doing so, less expenses and resources would be needed. But we must not draw the line at buses. There is a very real possibility of offering water taxis from the Three Cities to Valletta or Valletta to Sliema and we should never shoot down the idea of fixed tram lines.

Whatever solution is employed, one can rest assured that new buses alone simply will not hack it. We need a holistic solution to a problem that affects the whole of Malta.