Watch: 30 New Buses Worth €8 Million Bring Malta’s Fleet To 500 Units
Malta Public Transport has announced the acquisition of 30 new buses after a “significant investment” of €8 million.
This means the country’s fleet has now hit 500 units, with MPT saying this was done to “maintain Malta’s status as a leading European country in public transport accessibility”.
“We have listened to our drivers and our passengers, who called for more space on the buses, and our investment in these 30 new buses underscores our commitment to fulfilling this promise,” Malta Public Transport Chairman Felipe Cosmen said in a statement yesterday.
The 30 new buses are equipped with Euro 6 diesel technology and amenities like USB chargers and free WiFi, with MPT saying the decision to invest in diesel “aligns with the urgency to accommodate immediate demands”.
“Our experience with electric buses has been positive, but it has shown us that these require extensive infrastructure and manufacturing processes, leading to longer implementation times,” continued Cosmen. “It would have been unfair on our passengers to wait for more electric buses, which is why we decided to increase the number of buses right away, to further improve the efficiency of our public transport network.”
Cosmen went on to say that, by the end of 2025, plans are in place with the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works to introduce 120 fully electric zero-emission, supported by European Resilience and Recovery Funds.
It’s been a busy year so far for Malta Public Transport, with a 19% in passenger numbers being recorded in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year… amount to just over 17 million passengers. The number of active Tallinja cardholders who make use of the bus at least once in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the first quarter of 2024 also rose by 19% from 188,000 to 224,000, reflecting the growing use of public transport among residents.
Do you use Malta’s public buses?
READ NEXT: Watch: More Palestinian Children Will Be Brought To Malta For Treatment In The Coming Days As Selah Recovers Well
