Arrivare tardi

The expectations were sky high. After decades of being treated like trash by an arrogant lobby, people expected Arriva to deliver on two counts; punctuality and quality of service.

Judging by Arriva’s performance on the first day, they failed dismally on the first count but succeeded against all odds on the second count. It was a pleasant surprise to be treated with respect by smartly dressed drivers who patiently had to deal with the frustration of a disappointed public as well as with constant interrogations on which route to take.

I deliberately started my journey to San Gwann from Valletta to get a glimpse of the new terminus as well as to get a feel of the public mood. I did so despite fully knowing that the new system specifically encourages people to connect their way without thinking of Valletta as the alpha and omega of all journeys (for example I could have stopped at Msida to go to San Gwann),

I arrived at Valletta at 7:35 am.

I was immediately struck by the amount of people who did not have a clue of which bus takes them to their destination despite the clear signage and all the leaflets delivered in the past months. Another thing which struck me was the lack of shelters.

Some people were lamenting that they had left home at 6:00am and were still half way to their destination. The complaints seemed genuine. One solitary elderly patron was blaming those 56 drivers who did not turn up for work for sabotaging the system. “They never learn, it’s the fault of those bullies who still think they are kings of the road,” he told me.

But a group of angry women seemed overtaken by nostalgia for the old buses. The disappointment seems to have triggered the “kemm konna ahjar meta konna aghar” (how better we were when we were worse) syndrome. Some were even grumbling that the air-conditioning left them freezing on their way to  Valletta. “What’s the use of having air-conditioned buses when I am late for work…. It's Austin Gatt’s fault, he can’t get one thing right… At least we used to arrive to work on time with the old buses.”

When someone pointed out that it was the fault of the bus drivers who did not turn up to work, one of the women replied “what do they expect: why didn't they offer them a better wage?”

I decided to get on the first bus passing from San Gwann fully knowing that number 23 has to pass all the way through the Mrabat street gridlock in its long journey to Ghajn Tuffieha. Probably waiting for bus 32 [San Gwann via Tal-Qroqq] would have been a wiser choice. But fear of the unknown and eagerness to ride the new bus made me opt for the first one available.

But most people on the bus had no idea that they were taking a long winded route. As soon as the bus took the turn to Gzira on its way to Sliema, people started grumbling with the bus driver, especially at Mrabat when the bus was stuck in traffic. “Why are you not passing from tal-qroqq?” someone asked.

To make thing worse the bus found great physical difficulty when taking the turning towards Manwel Dimech street. On each stop the driver patiently explained the bus route to an angry public without ever losing his cool.

It was a bit disappointing that the driver only switched on the air conditioner after 10 minutes, when the same women previously lamenting about the cold in the previous bus ride started to grumble. 

The bus left at around 8:00 am and arrived at the stop next to the MaltaToday offices on Vjal ir-Rihan more than an hour later. And crucially the same voyage on the previous service never lasts more than 35 minutes, even if this can be partially accounted for by my decision to take a particular bus route from Valletta.

While I was relieved by the disappearance of old buses and arrogant drivers, I was perplexed by the failure of Arriva to provide a decent service on its first two days.

Teething problems are expected but not of such magnitude. Keeping workers on board is part of the success story of any company. Paying them a minimum wage while expecting maximum flexibility is clearly not the best way of keeping the workforce happy.

That said, one has to recognise the fact that Arriva is not a charity organisation. The company is offering week tickets for just €6.50 despite the considerable reduction of government subsidies. Clearly it had to save money on other costs, including the wage bill.

A few weeks ago I was talking to one of the new recruits (not a former bus driver) who found the low wage acceptable in view of an 8-hour working day which left him ample time to spend with his wife and children. “My Maltese employer treated me like shit. I did not even have a place where I could eat my lunch. These people treat us with respect.”

He is somewhat  disappointed wuth  the new roster but  understands the need to make a few sacrifices in the first days of operations. “Lets hope this will not become a permanent thing. I trust the union will not allow this to happen… they have co-operated and are not to blame for the rush actions of some of the drivers.”

One of the promises made when Austin Gatt launched the public transport reform was that the public will no longer be exposed to the danger posed by drivers working long and inhumane 16-hour shifts. That could have been one of the reasons why bus drivers where always on the brink of a nervous breakdown when confronting the public.

Lets hope that after the teething problems are solved those responsible workers who gave their best on this difficult day are given what they were promised. For in the end of the day, it was the courteous service offered by its new drivers, which saved the day for Arriva in its first two days. 

P.S. Arrivare Presto

My experience on the third day of Arriva service was extremely positive.   Instead of taking the bus from  Valletta, I took the same bus from Sliema where we had to leave our son.  I was on the bus stop at 7.20am .  I arrived to work at 7.45 am.  Buses were passing regularly and the stages were empty.  And the second day confirmed the great Arriva miracle; the apotheosis of the Maltese driver; from red neck bully to smart driver.  With divorce and a decent bus service Malta seems to have finally become more European.