The benefit of the extra buses, which Arriva has committed to deploy for the revamped bus service, is already having a positive impact and, as more are deployed, this benefit is expected to be felt across the network, Transport Malta said yesterday.

Transport Malta confirmed that 12 extra buses were deployed last week and that numbers will increase each week so that by the beginning of December all 36 extra buses will be available for deployment during peak hours.

Transport Malta CEO Stanley Portelli said yesterday, “A direct communication channel between Transport Malta’s control room and that of Arriva is in place to ensure problematic routes are highlighted in real time to allow Arriva to deploy extra buses as required.”

With regard to the new direct Valletta routes introduced on 6 November, Transport Malta said it has received positive feedback, although it acknowledged that a couple of these routes such as Route 35 (Gharghur) and Route 55 (Lija) have experienced teething problems.

“With a well-developed network and direct routes now in place from each locality to both Valletta and Mater Dei, Transport Malta remains firmly focused on ensuring that Arriva deliver the level of service as contemplated in the contract,” the government agency said yesterday.

“The routes and bus stops we have been monitoring this week will continue to be monitored next week as repetitive failures over a two-week period constitute a pattern of delay that are subject to fines,” Mr Portelli, added.

Since the introduction of the new direct routes to Valletta on 6 November, Transport Malta has been monitoring critical routes for passenger waiting time and bus scheduling from the same bus stop during the morning peak hours.

Such monitoring is intended to establish whether there exists a trend with regard to repetitive failures on passenger waiting time and bus scheduling. Should it transpire that a pattern of delay exists, then, as per contract, Transport Malta will be in a position to fine Arriva now that four months have elapsed since the introduction of the service.

Transport Malta said it had noted an improvement in the service provided on a number of routes that had been problematic in the past. In particular, during the morning peak (7 to 11am) all trips were performed on Route 31 (Naxxar), Route 62 (Siggiewi) and Route 91 (Marsascala) for the five days from Monday 7th November to Friday 11th November. In addition, Arriva provided extra trips on Route 31 and Route 62 to address capacity issues and deployed articulated buses on Route 91 to address the problem being encountered by passengers boarding at Fgura.

The performance of Route 2 (Birgu), Route 3 (Kalkara), Route 41 (San Pawl il-Bahar), Routes 51, 52, 53 (Mtarfa, Dingli, Rabat), Route 71 (Zurrieq), Route 72 (il-Qrendi) and Route 82 (Birzebbuga) were not consistent throughout the week as on some days gaps were experienced in the services as a result of missing trips, causing delays for commuters using these services. Transport Malta has advised Arriva that such gaps in the service are unacceptable and Arriva has been instructed to take all necessary action to ensure that the service operated across all routes operate to fixed headways in accordance with the published schedule.

Transport Malta thanked the Police for its support over the last week in assisting with traffic management at key junctions throughout the network.