The Ministry for Tourism, Commercial Affairs, Public Transport and the Port has announced that the temporary bus service to the St Joseph’s School area as part of the Bus Route 9 will be reviewed in the light of representations received from senior citizens and other residents of the area.

It will be recalled that due to previous representations received around July 2012 from the Senior Citizens and those with mobility issues, the Ministry and the Bus Company assessed the situation together with Technical Services and on an interim period it was decided to extend the Route 9 service to the St Joseph’s area to meet the demands of the concerned residents.

The Gibraltar Bus Company notified the public that the interim service was to be withdrawn on 1st November given the traffic congestion and route delays created. However, following the concerns of residents and others, the Ministry of Transport has decided not to proceed with the planned withdrawal of the service.

Instead the service introduced back in July on a trial basis will continue, while both the Ministry and the Bus Company finalise all options considered to achieve a permanent solution to the problem of traffic congestion and associated problems. The Ministry will make an announcement as soon as this review is complete.

Finally, the Ministry has informed bus users that once the tendering process has been completed and the new fleet arrives, the Gibraltar Bus Company will be able to perfect existing routes and also add new routes in order to enhance and meet growing demands.