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Improvements to public transport route network
Transport Malta and Arriva Malta will implement a number of additional minor route changes as of 11 November to coincide with the winter timetable changeover.
2 November 2012, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
3 min read
Route 31 and New Route 45
Currently Route 31 links Bugibba to Valletta via Mater Dei and University every 10 minutes in peak times (between 0700hrs and 1900hrs). This route will now be split in two routes as follows:
Route 31 will continue to operate as it is operating today, from Valletta to Mater Dei Hospital and University, via Iklin, Naxxar (Labour Avenue), Mosta, Burmarrad and linking to Bugibba. The frequency of this route will be every 20 minutes at peak time and every 30 minutes off peak.
A new Route 45, also operating every 20 minutes in peak time and every 60minutes off peak, will still link Valletta to Bugibba, but via Msida, Birkirkara, Naxxar (Labour Avenue and 21st September Avenue), Mosta (Main Street and Constitution Street), Burmarrad, and St. Paul's Bay (Triq Toni Bajada). Therefore this route will effectively provide an additional new link between Birkirkara and Bugibba.
Route 63
The frequency of this route in peak morning times, between 0630hrs and 0930hrs, is being doubled with services operating between Qormi and Valletta every 30 minutes instead of every hour. This is over and above the other Routes 61 and 62 that also link Qormi to Valletta.
Routes X5 and X7
The timetable of Route X7 is being extended in the evening with the last trip operating at 2224hrs from Vittoriosa and Paola. This will provide connections between Ghaxaq and Gudja to Paola even after 1900hrs as today the services stop at 1900hrs. Additionally, Route X5 will have the first trip starting 0524hrs from Marsascala and the last trip from Marsascala will be at 1954hrs.
Other minor changes include:
- Route 33: Route will pass via Msida and Pieta to Valletta, instead of Hamrun. This is being done to improve journey time, and also to provide links from Swieqi to Msida.
- Route 3 will start and end the journeys in Triq ix-Xatt in Kalkara and not at Rinella.
- Route 51: First trip from Mtarfa is scheduled to start earlier that is at 0532hrs instead of 0602hrs.
- Routes 101/102 will no longer be serving Mgarr. The connection between Mgarr and Golden Bay will be retained on Route 44.
- Route 119 is being extended to serve Hal Far (near ETC) to provide a new connection for ETC. It will also start serving Zejtun (Triq id-Dahla San Tumas, Triq President Anton Buttigieg and Triq Marsaxlokk). It will no longer serve the tal-Papa area in B'Bugia as this is already served by Route 85.
- Route 124 will be going through Triq il-Qaliet in Marsascala instead of Triq il-Kavallieri.
- Route 213 will be extended to cover tal-Hawli area in Birgu.
- Route 223 will no longer pass through Triq it-Tamar and Triq Cunningham in Qawra, but it will be diverted straight through Triq it-Turisti onto Dawret il-Qawra.
- Route X3 will also serve bus stops NAZZARENU in Paola in both directions.
- Route 313 will be diverted to pass through Kercem via Triq is-Sarg to better serve the centre of the village.
- Route 401: Extended from Wardija to Ghemmieri (Limits of Rabat) to provide additional network coverage.
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Clearly the journalist who wrote this article never used the Arriva Bus route number 31 because reducing the frequency of a route which already doesn't come close to keeping up with its schedule and which buses leave Valletta already full up isn't an "Improvement to public transport route network" !!
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I have a great idea. Why not go to the old routes that the old buses used to take? It would solve the whole inefficient route problem. Should never try to fix anything unless it is broken. Or even better, replace the big honchos at Transport Malta. You would have to be a mathematician to figure out all these numbers.
