Children should be able to get to school without having to wake up before dawn and return home exhausted after spending hours travelling. Yet, for some students living in Malta's more remote localities, this is becoming an increasingly difficult reality, exposing a transport system struggling to cope with the country's growing demands.

It is simply unreasonable for children to be collected by school transport at such an early hour and arrive home long after their lessons have finished. Education should not come at the expense of a child's rest and quality of life, particularly when there are practical improvements that could make the journey more manageable.

Localities on the outskirts of Malta face more difficulties than others, with students depending on public transport or organised school services to reach educational institutions situated some distance from home. For these families, the school day effectively begins long before the first lesson and continues well after the final bell.

Mellieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef deserves credit for bringing another issue to the attention of the authorities by proposing more direct routes, express services and a review of bus timetables. These are reasonable requests that deserve serious consideration. Local representatives are often best placed to understand the difficulties residents face, and their concerns should not have to be repeated indefinitely before action is taken.

The authorities must recognise that school transport cannot be assessed purely in terms of whether a service exists or whether it is financially viable. It must also be judged on whether it serves students in a reasonable and practical manner. A bus that gets a child to school on time after a journey lasting close to two hours may technically be doing its job, but that does not necessarily make it an adequate service.

There will inevitably be logistical challenges. Routes must accommodate different localities and vehicles cannot be everywhere at once. Transport operators must also ensure that services remain safe and financially sustainable. But these considerations should encourage better planning, not become an excuse for accepting arrangements that place an unnecessary burden on children and their families.

Where existing routes can be reorganised, stops adjusted or more direct connections introduced, the authorities should examine these options. Timetables and demand should be reviewed regularly, particularly at the start of a new school year, when changes in student numbers and school placements can affect the effectiveness of existing arrangements.

The wider issue, however, is Malta's chronic traffic problem. Too many vehicles are competing for limited road space, while public transport continues to struggle to provide an attractive and reliable alternative for many journeys. Congestion affects everyone, but students travelling at peak hours are among those who have little control over the situation.

School transport should help reduce the number of cars on the road. When journeys become so inconvenient that parents feel compelled to drive their children themselves, that objective is undermined. Families end up making additional trips, adding to congestion and placing further pressure on an already strained road network.

This is not a problem that can be solved simply by asking parents to be more patient or by telling families to choose schools closer to home. Parents make educational decisions for many reasons, and students should not be penalised through unnecessarily long journeys when better transport arrangements may be possible.

Malta needs a more coherent transport strategy, one that considers the needs of students alongside those of workers and other commuters. Improving public transport infrastructure, providing more direct connections and making services more dependable must form part of that effort.

Children should not have to sacrifice their sleep, free time and well-being because the country has failed to make adequate provision for their daily journeys. The experiences being highlighted by Mellieħa's mayor should prompt a wider review of school transport across Malta. The objective must be straightforward: getting students to school and back home safely, reliably and within a reasonable amount of time.