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Bus patronage increases by 22% over summer 2011
Transport Minister hails first positive statistics from Arriva service: more people using the buses.
12 October 2011, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
2 min read
Transport Minister Austin Gatt is toasting a startling statistic that seems to give credence to the effectiveness of Arriva’s public transport reform: an increase of 22% in the number of Maltese and Gozitan passengers using the new bus service.
During August 2011, commuters in Malta increased by 21% over the same period in 2010, while during September.
The main driver of the positive figures was in Gozo, where patronage increase by over 300%. In August, 240,000 commuters used the public transport over the 57,000 who used it in 2010 during the same month (321%) and in September the figure fell slightly to 207,440. The massive leap reflects the normality of a regular bus service on the sister island, whose connections prior to the reform were poor and not as regular.
In total, commuters increased to 3.7 million in August 2011 over 2.9 million last year (27%) and to 3.1 million in September 2011 over 2.6 million last year (22%).
Gatt said the September indicators shows commuters kept using the service even after the tourism peak in August. “These figures shows the trust of passengers in the new service despite its initial shortcomings,” he said referring to wildcat strikes on the first day of service, problems with bus schedules and connections, and a lack of bus shelters that gave Arriva a much-maligned reputation.
“The fact that there are more routes, more destinations and longer services has created more opportunities for people to use public transport. This does not take anything away from the justified complaints of passengers, especially morning commuters who are not finding the service satisfactory.
“Transport Malta will ensure that the operator will keep up to its obligations and provide enough buses to serve all passengers.”
The transport minister added that the increase in patronage will mean Transport Malta does not need to fork out compensation to operators Arriva had patronage decrease in the first year.
But this fact alone will have to be decided in 2012.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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More like the THREE WANKERS than the the Three Stooges.
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Tony Vella comparing these three buffoons with the three stooges is an insult to the three stooges, more like dumb, dumber and dumdum wanker.
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Both Times of Malta and Malta Today reported this story out of context. The 22% increases was mentioned as the reason why there were not enough buses! Yet now its been spinned to give the impression that the service is now a great success.
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If you have to go from point 'A' to point ' B ' you have bord on two different buses , does this count as two passengers have made use of the service and thus be counted twice ? Do you think that the people is going to beleve this rubish . Who are those in the picture ? The three stooges ?
charlene cassar •
I am pretty sure that the 3 comedians in the picture take the bus regularly to go to work ! Most likely is that W****r Austin, Delia and George Fenech have only used a bus just once, for the photoshoot !
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I am one of those 22% who tried Arriva,twice. Having tasted what''s on offer.I have now gone back to my old diet.Just that these days,it takes me longer to get from A to B with my car because I have to stop and wait in queues of cars to allow the new buses to pass. Result , frustration, waste of time and money for extra fuel.Oh yes Austin,we will remember you and your benevolent smile when you retire,but not in the way you would wish.
Rayman Jumbo •
Hmmmmmmm excuse my ignorance but, people now have to catch two busses instead of one to travel to the same destination so in reality the Delia Institute of Statistics got it all wrong. 22% increase means Arriva is a flop as can be witnessed by the huge traffic jams which, by the way, are no longer happening in rush hours but all throughout the day.
I have to commend that YES there is 0 exhaust from these Arriva buses but pollution is increasing by the added use of private cars!
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I swear to God that I've waited from 11.30am to 12.25am to catch a bus from Mellieha Bay to Mosta! I'arrived at Mosta at 1.10pm! The rest is bull s.! Afdter Smart city we were regaled with smart buses; some smart bus service!
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I will never never never never believe anything that comes from Transport Malta. This new statistic is just another spin to save the face of the obnoxious Minister Gatt. There is something wrong here. First Minister Gatt says he never has expected such a tough start for for the new bus system and now Transport Malta declares that the system is a success. There are various reasons signifying (if this statistic is correct) such increase in commuters: 1) this year there were a lot of foreign students who used the bus service and tourists as well. I say to this Minister who thinks he is a god that we are not gullible anymore.
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Qeghdin sew dawn, wanker sejjer (Gatt) u iehor gej (Delia) !! Issa nafu li il finanzi ma humiex fis sod u lanqas ma huma l idejn li wieghed Gonzi. Fadlilhom xi haga soda f dan il partit?
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Can the F***** Wanker tell us why, if the public has increased use of public transport, did normal private vehicles traffic increased so much that there are traffic jams every day everywhere since the introduction of Non-Arrival?
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Well, El Arrogante is not squeezed in the shoddy Arriva but I forgot that the Circus is soon coming to town with a 80m pricetag. The PN should lead by example and use the bus instead of fat cars! As for El Arrogante he would have a rickshaw to peddle him to the new circus
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Why bother to feed us statistics when a couples of days ago he declared that he is not loosing any sleep about Arriva Mai!
After 'Issa m'hemmx iktar buzullotti' it is now very difficult to believe anything that is said about Arriva.
It is the people's experience that counts and not what he says.
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Passengers using the previous bus service paid for every trip and statistics could be easily compiled from the tickets sold. The ticketing system has now changed and it is somewhat dubious how the statistics are being compiled today. For example one that uses a weekly ticket and use the service from Monday to Friday is considered as using the service 7 days a week?
And while on the subject of statistics, it would be interesting to know the traffic increase between 6:15 am and 8:00 am during workdays on the main roads of the south region.
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Yes, and how do the statistics interpret the visibly massive increase in private cars usage as evidenced by the chaotic traffic and traffic jams all over the country?
The compulsory use of interchanges is having this unrealistic and inflated boost on the numbers of patrons using Arriva's services.
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Can the Minister tell us what was the percentage of passengers that used the old transport system for the same period last year?
I bet the statistics given is no where near the amount of passengers that used the transport system before TGERFIXA started operating last July.
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Il wanker issa tkellem,ghax ma ftaharx xi 4 gimat ilu.
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if you have to catch 2 buses to go from point A to B instead of 1 bus, that means that bus use has increased by 100%.
Esteban Hernandez •
il poplu jistena l ariva u il f***** wanker bil JAGUAR. hu go fik ja poplu cuc ghax hekk jixraqlek!!!!!!!!!!!
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Citing Gozo is tha same as citing Qormi or B'kara with a bus service of their own..
Give us a greak you F**** Wanker
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Even if it's true no one will believe a F***** Wanker.
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PN is dead gonziPN rules
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Saviour, as I said yesterday it is obvious that you need a decent sub editor. The plural of bus is buses.
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MUST BE APRILS FOOL.
FIRST BARROSO AND NOW THIS, MALTATODAY, PLEASE SPREAD THE NUTTY NEWS OUT A BIT. IT LOOKS LIKE A NEWSPAPER FOR THE DERANGED!!
Isabelle Borg •
Go and say that to the marines Wistin.
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Is this April`s fool?
Minister Gatt and Mr Delia tell us about the delays that my son is facing when he goes to University before he used to take 30 minutes and now it takes him 1 hour and 30 mins .Can someone else confirm with what I am saying PLS
