The CT Cabs service, which operated a number of small electric cabs in Valletta, was suspended when Arriva started operating the Valletta circular bus service on Sunday.
Some elderly people who are mobility impaired called this newspaper to complain about the suspension. Without this service, the Valletta elderly, who make up the majority of Valletta’s population, are now feeling trapped in their own homes.
“I have been living in Valletta since I was a child. I don’t go out very often because I have difficulties walking and cannot stand for a long time. I use a walking stick to support myself. The CT Cabs service helped me move about the city and maintain my independence. I rarely called my children to drive me around as I found the CT Cabs quite efficient. They were not cheap but for €2 I could go to church once a week and maybe for a coffee with a few friends. The CT Cabs were also great to go to the market sometimes, because I don’t need to carry my shopping,” explained a 76-year-old Valletta resident who preferred to remain anonymous.
The CT Cabs were convenient for the elderly and the mobility impaired because they used to drive up to the doorstep.
The new 133 route, served by small minivans, is intended to make it easier for Valletta-based workers, residents and tourists to travel around the city. The bus has low-floor entry and a ramp making it accessible for wheelchair users, however to use the buses one has to walk to and wait at one of the bus stops.
Route 133 travels anticlockwise in a circular route around the outskirts of Valletta. The bus travels along St Paul Street, turning left into Archbishop Street, passing alongside the Grand Masters Palace, then right onto Republic Street and down to Fort St Elmo before turning left into Fountain Street.
The bus then follows St Sebastian Street and Marsamxett Street, before re-entering Valletta through St Mark Street. It then navigates the one-way area by turning left onto Old Bakery Street, right to St John Street, right again onto Strait Street, then right onto Melita Street, before following the road round onto St Andrew Street to reach South Street. While South Street is closed for building works, the bus will perform a loop, returning along Old Bakery Street, St Sebastian Street and Marsamxett Street before exiting Valletta by Great Siege Street, and re-entering the city at Castille Place. A stop will allow customers to alight near the Valletta bus terminus.
This newspaper spoke to Valletta mayor Alexei Dingli. “The CT Cabs service has been replaced by the circular buses, however, it is not excluded that it will start operating again in the near future because the transport market is liberalised. The new circular buses do satisfy some mobility needs in Valletta. People are waiting to see how the circular buses will perform and private companies are monitoring the situation until they can offer other services,” Dr Dingli explained.
The CT Cabs operator, CT Park Ltd, was unreachable throughout yesterday, however, we were instructed to call on another day because the person responsible was out of the office. The telephone operator said the CT Cabs were garaged and that the service was suspended.
Dubbed as Valletta’s own taxi service, CT Cabs were launched four years ago. The bubble-like electric cabs, which could take three passengers, added a greener dimension to the capital by reducing air and noise pollution. The CT Cabs system initially consisted of 10 battery-powered chauffeur-driven cabs, transporting passengers from 10 points in Valletta to any destination within the city.