Valletta bus route changes ‘will address elderly citizens’ complaints’

Valletta’s circular bus timetable will be improved so as to better serve the capital’s elderly citizens, transport minister Joe Mizzi said.

Speaking during his parliamentary adjournment, Mizzi said that Route 133 will be updated as part of route changes that will be introduced on Sunday.

The bus will once again start operating every half hour, and the last circular bus will no longer be scheduled to arrive as early as 9pm. A bus stop will also be installed at Old Baker Street.

A group of elderly citizens last week protested in front of Castille that the changes made their lives more difficult, and that it made it more cumbersome for them to go to their hospital appointments.

Other routes that will be updated this Sunday is the X1 from Cirkewwa to the airport. Buses will start passing through the hospital and the first bus from Cirkewwa, at 6:45am, will bypass through the centre of Mellieha.

Routes that used to pass from Marsa Park and Ride to St Luke’s Hospital will pass straight to Mater Dei, without taking a detour via St Luke’s.

On 17 April, two new routes will start servicing San Gwann, while bus route 210 from Marsaxklokk to Mater Dei will be shortened

On 11 June, Route 238 will start passing through the Naxxar Higher Secondary School, Route 202 will be extended to service Pembroke Park and Ride, and a new route will be introduced to link Pembroke, Maghtab and Naxxar.

“This is a clear sign that the government is listening to people’s complaints, and has set clear timeframes to improve the service,” Mizzi said.