It really should not be said, but we were probably better off in terms of frequency when the old bus radial system in and out of Valletta was used.

Let us be clear, this does not mean that the state of the buses, the lack of manners and the odd decision to simply not do a journey was better than what is offered today. First we had the whole Arriva debacle (incidentally, the bendy-buses are still holed up in a compound between  Naxxar and San Gwann. Then we had a hotchpotch service for a few months after Arriva were told to pack their bags, and now we have Transport Malta.

When it first began operating, many said that there was not much improvement. But over time, it did seem to improve. Throughout 2015, 24 new routes were introduced, but yet it seems that the public has not reacted well to them, saying that there were delays.

It goes without saying, there is always room for improvement, and journeys do take a long time given the traffic congestion on the roads.

It just seems that no one can get this right. The transport company now offers daily trips from every locality to Mater Dei Hospital and Valletta. So why then, are commuters facing long waiting times, particularly at Mater Dei and the University?

The issue can be explained by looking at the drastic increase in vehicles on the roads over the past few years. Malta has long had a traffic problem, but there were not as many cars on the roads in the days of the yellow buses, than there are now.

When we factor in that, aside from a few ferries, there are no other forms of organised mass transport in Malta, then the answer becomes very clear. The whole weight of the public transport system is falling on a bus operator. In other countries, one finds trams, underground trains, monorails and many other modes of transport. Here in Malta, we are stuck with the humble old bus.

Transport needs to be diversified, and fast. It’s no use to keep talking about the problem if we never get round to doing anything about it. We are now talking about a tunnel from Malta to Gozo and that should give us an indication of how long any capital projects will take. Some have repeatedly mooted the idea of an underground system in Malta. But by the time we get it up and running it will probably be obsolete.

There is no doubt that the current bus service can improve, and it should. One thing that seems to bother many people is the out of sync electronic tickers and timers. If people knew that they were showing correct times, then it should do a lot to allay frustration at the system by missing a bus because of incorrect information.