Danger to drivers as buses park on two-way Swieqi street

Buses have been ordered to stop and wait towards the end of Triq tal-Franciz, a two-way street in Swieqi, for up to half an hour in what could be an accident waiting to happen.

As the picture clearly shows, drivers wishing to overtake the parked buses have to change lanes to the wrong side of the road, potentially putting them on a collision course with vehicles approaching from the other direction.

“The local council was only made aware of this problem by residents, as Transport Malta did not even have the decency to inform us of their decision to allow buses to stop for 20 to 30 minutes at the place of contention,” Swieqi deputy mayor Justin Fenech told MaltaToday.

“The mayor and all councilllors have been coordinating for the past two weeks to solve the problem and even though alternatives are being discussed, the least Transport Malta could do is find an alternative site and not risk the lives of drivers. The situation is clearly dangerous.”  

This is the latest controversy since the bus routes were revised towards the end of December. Several people have complained that their routes are now lengthier, that buses arrive less frequently, and that the updated timetables have not yet been been installed onto every bus stop. 

Earlier today, a fire extinguisher 'exploded' under the seat of a moving bus in Msida, covering the passengers in white powder. Malta Public Transport has pledged to investigate the incident.