A Return Trip To Malta.

Last month, Jim Henderson returned to the Island of Malta for the first time in 12 years. Malta is almost the same size as Arran, though there are huge differences, as Jim notes. And he regrets passing of the old yellow buses.

Malta, ruled by the British from 1814, became independent in 1964. The last British forces left in 1979, and Malta joined the EU in 2004.
           
The last time I was there was in November 2000, I expected a few changes, but the most disappointing one was the demise of the yellow buses. The old.buses were part of the Malta story. Many were over 50 years of age and of course were mechanically way past their sell by date. Suspect brakes and holes in the floor were all part of the Malta bus experience. But they were cheap, dependable and such fun to use. Most of them were privately owned, but the Malta government controlled the entire transport system and stipulated that every part of the island must be served. Independent inspectors regularly boarded the bus and fined anyone on board who did not have a ticket for the journey. However, last July, as part of a health and safety process, the entire fleet was taken off the road and replaced with modern Arriva buses. Many of them were the bendy kind, discarded from use in London, and because of their extra length, a lot of the routes had to be changed to accommodate them – much to the annoyance of the locals. People are very critical of the new service, as the old yellow bus system was so dependable, with a bus every 10-15 minutes on most routes.

Though Malta is smaller than Arran, 17 miles long and 8 miles across, it is home to 408,000 people. Added to that, it caters for over half a million visitors at any time during the year. On a bus journey of some 15 miles through the northern part of Malta, one will seldom see any clear areas or cultivation. Built up areas are continuous, with erstwhile villages merging into each other. Houses and shops, garages with fuel pumps in the middle of the pavement, hospitals and every other kind of building are close-packed, with few if any gaps.

Because the Island is small the infrastructure is fully stretched. Countless luxurious hotels are needed to accommodate the visitors, so everything is very built up. Malta is well worth a visit, but one would need at least two weeks there in order to sample some of its highlights and to visit the less crowded smaller island of Gozo. The volume of traffic is of course very high, yet the Malta road system is excellent I never saw one pothole and I travelled many areas (even rural country single track roads) outside the main tourist attractions. On the west side of the Island (the main route to Gozo) extensive road works were being carried out, yet the surface of the route still in use was much better than what we have to put up with in Arran. Our Island home, which depends so much on tourism?

Figures bear out the great differences between Malta and Arran. Malta’s highest point is only 830 feet, as against Goat Fell at 2,866 feet. It has only one golf course, whereas Arran has seven. In Malta, there are 4,000 people to every square mile, but on Arran, just 31. We have approximately 25,000 visitors a year, while Malta has 1.3 million  – and that number is rising.*

The Island of Malta is steeped in history. During World War II Malta became the most bombed place on the planet. 6,700 tons of high explosive bombs were dropped during a period of only six weeks, and in 1942 the Island was awarded the George Cross for its endurance. One famous story is always remembered. On April 9th 1942, when a congregation of 300 was assembled for Mass in the Mosta Church, a German bomb dropped by an Italian pilot fell through the lofty dome. It landed in the aisle and skidded the entire length of the packed church, injuring no one – and it did not explode. The Maltese have since looked upon this as a miracle and a replica of the bomb is on display in the small museum behind the church, together with photographs of the British troops who risked their lives in removing it. Quite recently, within the past 3 years, the Italian pilot returned to Mosta and apologised to the congregation.

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* But we suppose that amount of tourism pays for good roads. Me, I’d rather have the potholes. Ed