Malta Bus

The Trams [Streetcars] in Malta were introduced in 1905. The Tram was composed of two floors, the lower and the upper Deck.  On the first floor stood the operator or driver, and ten reversible wooden seats for 20 passengers.  The Tram had no doors or windows.  The upper Deck accommodates 18 sitting passengers.  Standing passengers were not allowed on the upper deck.  

During this period Malta's infrastructure was not adequate and therefore transport between village was accommodated on train railway.  I don’t think anyone really remembers the trains in Malta or in matter of fact about their history, because there is no longer a Railway in Malta since 1931 unless you’re born before 1925 or you’re close to 80 years old. 

It is worth mentioning that Malta is one of the few countries that do not have train transport.  Eventually, it was due to the popularity gained for bus transport that train transport was no longer sustainable.  Thus, on 31st March 1931, the train performed the last services from Rabat to Valletta.

Before the advent of motorised transport, the karozzin used to be the most common means of land transport. It has now become an aspect of Malta's cultural heritage and is used by tourists for leisure rides.

In the early days of bus transport until 1970's every route bus had a different colour that uniquely identifies the village where the bus has its last stop.  This gave a very picturesque identity that blends very well with the beige stone colour of the Maltese limestone.  However, today every bus has a green colour and is identified with a numbering code to replace the previous colour scheme.   The list of the current route service number scheme is provided to hereunder.

Bus owners are very proud of their buses.  They keep them in a very good condition; decorate them with trimmings icons named for the bus owners’ village Patron Saint, or favourite singers or famous kings, queens, and/or battleships.  

Unfortunately, public bus transport is now in its majority composed of the latest modern buses or coaches and the old public buses are being replaced.  Although one understands that what is now known as the old public buses cannot compete with the modern buses as these are relatively uncomfortable, inefficient and costly to maintain as yet the distinctive touches of the Maltese buses cannot be replaced with the new ones and could only be felt if these are kept into operation.  

As things are kept alike, it is an experience to be a passenger on a Maltese bus.  The routes are relatively very short taking on average not more than half an hour.  Fares are very cheap and even the longest ride across the island costs less than €1.30.

All buses travel from and to Valletta, so if you do not think about it, this may kill off your precious time of your visit.  It would be very helpfull to the driver if the passengers prepare exact money to pay for their fare.  This would be less time consuming to the driver and would reduce the journey time.  

Past Malta Buses - A selection of past Malta buses before the 1960s when they were coloured ... Past Malta Buses. 133 reads. How 2 Stay Young. 220 reads. Self Help for a Heart Attack ...

New Bus Routes Next Year

The existing setup whereby all buses come and go to Valletta is coming to an end next year.  Regional bus stations in Buġibba, Birkirkara, Mosta, Mater Dei, Luxol, Marsa, Paola, Rabat and the airport will give a new dimension to present transport service.

The network would have four tiers - main, cross, feeder and express lines.  The scope is to increase efficiency, frequency of trips and minimise the time to travel from one destination to another.  This would then reduce carbon emission. 

Whilst the current network covered 25 million kilometres a year, the new network would cover 43.2 million in Winter and 46.7 million in Summer.  This would however not reflect in the need for more buses to cover this extended network, only more drivers.

It is estimated that at present, Maltese buses on average are used only for 12 per cent of the time they are available, whilst the reformed system envisages an increase of up to 85 per cent, through the shared use of buses by multiple drivers on different shifts.

Should you decide to use frequently Taxi services, then it would be best if you contact renowned taxi companies.  I for instance highly recommend Mifsud Garage; a very well established family owned company that charges very reasonable fares.  

By car

Should you make up your mind to it, then this is the best way to see around the island.  Malta holidays are not much fun if you’re sweaty behind the steering wheel! It’s cheap to hire a car in Malta. There’s a lot of choice when it comes to car hire in Malta, with a lot of competition between car hire agencies.  But there are some factors, which you should know before going for car hire Malta.

Malta used follows the british standards and has adapted the left hand drive system and Highway Code like UK. If you can not drive left hand driving, you should go for a hired driver, which will be provided by the car supplier itself.

Even though the Maltese adopted the Highway Code in the UK, the rules are, sometimes, interpreted differently by many drivers in Malta. The rule, which is most often ignored, is who is given the right of way. The right of way is given according to vehicle size. If you hire a pick-up truck, then you will have a significant advantage over other road users.  It is said that the Maltese always drive on the side where there is some shade.

The quality of Maltese roads is actually not the same everywhere. While there is plain highway somewhere, at a turn, you can find the bad surfaces. So sometimes, it can be dangerous to drive on the Maltese roads.

Parking space is really very limited in Malta, since there are practically as many cars as the number people living on the island.
 

Enjoy the freedom a hire car offers in Malta. You can drive your hired car around all sorts of places you would otherwise never have seen and it’s practically impossible to get lost on an island measuring only 122 square miles!

You can find places that the locals only know about, such as secluded beaches and peaceful villages that can really show you what Malta and the Maltese are really about.

You have to be aware that the road signs are not always worth following.  Moreover road signs are sometimes also misleading.  The best practice is to have a good road map and when in doubt just stop the car and ask for assistance.  Locals would be ready to help you and assist you in all your queries.  Diesel Cars are more economic than Petrol cars but the cost of fuel consumption is almost the same for the two.

After getting acquainted with the way of driving, you probably keep remembering the Maltese unique way of driving.  Take very good notice of where to park your car and pay attention to Speed Cameras, as your visit in Malta could turn to be very expensive.  

Driving in Gozo, is relatively less of a challenge, so if you are not take courageous to drive in Malta then try it in Gozo.  Note that the bus services are much less frequent than in Malta.  Good Luck.  

By Boat

Should you are residing in Sliema, Valletta or Cottonera or the harbour area then it is advisable to consider using also sea transport.  It is very convenient and cheap to use the regular ferry service between Sliema and Valletta.  It goes every 45 minutes in the Summer and almost as often in the Winter and only takes 5 minutes.  Captain Morgan our partners offers this ferry service.  Please click on the image to view the ferry schedule.

Sea transport between Valletta and Cottonera is over the Maltese dghajsa.  The traditional Maltese boat is also slowly disappearing from our shores.  We now have only a mere handful compared with 1864 when the total number of registered Dghajsa were 1,134.  So it is advisable to utilize sea transport using the traditional Dghajsa.  Our partners provide ad hoc trips from Vittoriosa to other cities and vice versa.

Perhaps in the coming days we will feature more details about the history of the traditional Maltese dghajsa in this web site.  

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