It was just like any other day, having to leave home an hour-and-a-half earlier than necessary to catch a bus to university. However, this time instead of the bus coming half an hour late, somebody must have decided not to send buses from Cirkewwa on to St Paul’s Bay

It was just like any other day, having to leave home an hour-and-a-half earlier than necessary to catch a bus to university. However, this time instead of the bus coming half an hour late, somebody must have decided not to send buses from Cirkewwa on to St Paul’s Bay

The people who were waiting impatiently on the bus stop told me that they had been waiting for just over an hour. I waited, thinking that a bus would surely come anytime soon – big mistake. Ten minutes passed, then 20 and then 45, and by this time we had had more than enough. I phoned ADT headquarters and the same man who has been answering my calls for the past two months gave me the same reply – that as far as they knew the buses were operating as usual, so we stayed another 10 minutes. All of the 10 people that had gathered on my stage decided to walk to the stage which didn’t depend on buses coming from Cirkewwa only, as also buses from Bugibba pass through there. As we walked towards the main St Paul’s Bay stage, we realised we were not the only ones, as there were about six other people on another stage who had been waiting for over an hour-and-a-half o. They quickly decided to join us on the main stage, where we waited for another half an hour before a bus to pass by, one which came from Bugibba.

Many angry questions filled our heads: why hadn’t we been informed that no buses were going to pass from the main road of St Paul’s Bay? Why did ADT have no idea of what was happening? Why is it our precious time keeps being wasted because of an inefficient bus system? What we are all certain of at the end of the day is that I was nearly an hour late for my lecture and many people missed appointments. All the people at the terminus are sure that the number 652 bus was working that day, because a woman said her husband saw it at the terminus in Qawra. So we are perfectly sure that the buses we were waiting for took an alternative route. Maybe they took the bypass without bothering to tell all those people who depend on buses coming from Cirkewwa? It is an absolute disgrace as far as I’m concerned, and the sad thing is that other than this letter, as a student I have no other choice but to use public transport.

Louise Cini

ST PAUL’S BAY

And also on behalf of

Anna Mallia

Marthese Debono

Anna Maria Abela

Donna Anastasi

Mary Rose Pace