Malta expands bus fleet to cope with growing demand

Malta Public Transport (MPT) has added 30 new diesel buses to its existing fleet to meet a growing demand for services from passengers.

Statistics have revealed that the number of bus passengers on the Mediterranean island increased by 19 percent in the first three months of 2024 when compared with the same period last year.

“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,” said Felipe Cosmen, Chairman of Malta Public Transport.

Cosmen added that the operator was still committed to electric buses but decided to buy diesel buses to improve the bus network as soon as possible.

“Our decision to invest in diesel buses was driven by the urgency to meet the increase in demand for public transport.

“Our experience with electric buses has been positive, but specialised infrastructure for electric vehicles still needs to be completed.”

Malta’s Transport Minister Chris Bonett said the €8 million (US$8.56 million) investment will serve to keep up with the growth in numbers.

Last September the operator added 30 electric buses to its fleet last September at a cost of €20 million.

The island also plans to introduce a further 120 electric buses by the end of 2025, supported by European Resilience and Recovery funds.

Record numbers

Figures have shown that those who use the bus at least once a month rose from 188,000 last year to 224,000 this year, reflecting a steady increase since the pandemic ended.

In June 2023 the operator announced that a record 5.8 million passengers travelled by bus during May 2023.

The figure surpassed a previous milestone of 5.7 million in August 2019, and came eight months after the introduction of free public transport on most routes in October 2022.

Image: Malta public transport