Monday 13 April, a rainy, windy day, saw me and other would-be passengers waiting to board the 560 bus from Mater Dei hospital , waiting in the rain. There was no bus shelter and the swaying trees added big drops of water down our necks. The bus, although in its allocated space, was closed and the driver was nowhere to be seen.

Everybody was grumbling that this is the way passengers are treated when using the buses. A dispatcher could not help us. He said he had no authority over the bus drivers and everyone’s protests about the existing bad conditions fell on deaf ears. Moreover, we were told that the workers were treated even worse than the passengers, as they were not even provided with a toilet or other sanitary facilities.

Why do the authorities spend money on publicity – “take the bus and save the environment” – but at the same time treat everyone with such contempt?

Authorities please take action. Do the right thing by your customers and workers. Without a healthy environment bus drivers cannot greet us with a smile. Besides, passengers are bound to grumble about the shoddy service.

Jane Azzopardi

NAXXAR