Kunsill Studenti Junior College

One of the main things that JC students have to encounter each day is surely public transport. There are lots of students who still do not have a driving license. Others who use their cars are also encouraged to use public transport. Unfortunately very few students choose to use public transport during their daily routine. There are many reasons why students are not choosing public transport as many as there are reasons that highlight the importance of using public transport.

First and foremost, the existing system is really not catering for taday’s need. The need for a thorough reform was felt after thirty five long years of a primitive public transport system. This also applies for the buses being used, even though some may have gone through complete transformations. What made things worse was the introduction of the new buses who may be seen by many as less comfortable and doesn’t have that usual streamlined shape in order to reduce excessive fuel consumption. These new buses surely didn’t provide for the huge problem of buses late arrivals, the latter being more attributed to the ever decreasing numbers of travellers using public transport.

For all those who use Facebook, they surely couln’t have avoided the new Facebook Group against the allegedly arrogant attitude of Maltese bus drivers. Dozens of letters are sent to the papers each one recounting different bad experiences related to public transport and the drivers. However very few people realize the lack of preparation those working in public transport are given. Just because you got a special driving license does not mean that you’re capable to deal with people each and every day. And even if you are fully conscious of how customers ought to be treated, how can we expect these drivers to behave in the same normal way during a sixteen-hour shift! So before pointing our fingers and picture the bus drivers as ‘cowboys’, we need to understand well that one cannot have a good service without securing workers’ rights and good working conditions.

The proposed public transport reform is aimed to resolve these main problems and others which are commonly experienced when using public transport. More frequent routes, better fares for frequent travellers and hopefully a general good service which could make a distinction between different travellers such as the pensioners and students. A modern system would ensure that finally Malta would have an adequate public transport system, similar to what we normally use when we travel to other European countries.