They say that charity begins at home so let’s put aside, for a moment, Arriva’s new bus fares for tourists and concentrate on what fares we locals, will be paying come 3 July 2011.

The transport ministry has unequivocally stated that the new bus fares will be on a par with the present ones and even cheaper. I keep wondering why the local media is focusing so much on tourist bus fares and little or nothing is being said about what local commuters would be paying. At present, a one way adult ticket costs 47 euro cents, whereas its new equivalent would be €1.30, which would also be valid as a return ticket within two hours. Thus, a to and from single journey now costs 94 cents (47 euro cents x 2) which is 36 euro cents cheaper than the new fare. For local residents, who catch two buses everyday to go to and from work, the new day ticket will cost €1.50, whereas now they are only paying 94 euro cents daily. Again 56 euro cents cheaper! For let’s face it, people generally go home after work and not make extra journeys to try to get the best value out of their day ticket. Again, weekly tickets for local residents will be priced at €6.50, so those who presently work are now paying €4.70 (94 euro cents x 5), which is €1.80 cheaper than the new weekly ticket.

Anyway, why should one buy a seven-day ticket, when one only needs a five-day one? However, I still don’t know how much a monthly ticket would cost.

During a recent phone-in local radio programme, I was advised by Manuel Delia from the transport ministry, to look for the new bus fares on www.mitc.gov.mt, but to my dismay, at least until 23 November, there was only one new bus fare, namely the €12 weekly ticket for tourists.

To be fair, the new block tickets are cheaper than their present counterparts, but on the other hand I’ve rarely, if ever, seen local residents making use of block tickets. It seems that only tourists avail themselves of such tickets. We are more accustomed to pay for a single fare, which is, as I said before, 83 euro cents cheaper than its equivalent new one. If the transport ministry was reported to have stated that the new bus fares would be on a par with the present ones and at times even cheaper, why was the standard 47 euro cents ticket not retained by Arriva? Why is there so much lack of information on how much local residents would be paying to use this long awaited new bus transport system?

I was also wondering if the new block tickets would be transferable. Tourist’s fares are being given much importance, whereas there is nearly a total lack of information regarding local resident’s fares! Why is this? Is there anything the transport ministry or Arriva are trying to conceal?

Charles Cirillo

HAMRUN