Arriva is given a harsh warning and a deadline

Transport Malta has slammed Arriva’s “unacceptable” public transport service and given the company until the end of this month to bring it up to scratch, The Sunday Times has learnt. The transport watchdog is even threatening to deploy its own buses at Arriva’s expense if this ultimatum is not met, and is questioning whether the service is “sustainable” considering the large amount of penalties being issued. “Reliability at certain times of the day goes down to zero per cent meaning no trips would have been done for an hour, and sometimes more,” Transport Malta said about one route group in a scathing review of the service. The Sunday Times is in possession of the letter sent by TM Land Transport Directorate chief officer Konrad Pulè to Arriva Malta’s managing director Richard Hall last Wednesday. “Transport Malta will not tolerate this low level of service any longer, and unless the route group is brought to 100 per cent reliability, and a reasonable level of punctuality by the end of November, Transport Malta will have no option to deploy additional buses or coaches to ensure the contracted level of service is achieved, all of which will be done at Arriva’s...