€6m investment in new buses for Malta
Malta Public Transport recently launched 28 new buses, with an investment of €6m. Felipe Cosmen, the company’s chairman announced that these new low-emission buses feature USB charging points and are designed to carry more people. Some of them are also equipped with luggage racks to be used specifically for airport services.
During last month, Malta Public Transport carried more than 4 million passengers – a record for Malta since there have never been so many people using the bus. So far this year the company has experienced a total increase of 12% in passengers in all categories: regular commuters, students, tallinja cardholders and tourists.
“This has encouraged us to invest even more in our operation in Malta,” said Cosmen, welcoming the positive trend. “Once again, we are going beyond our contractual obligations. In the last two years we have put over 200 new buses in service. This is another record for Malta.”
Just like the other new buses, these buses are fully airconditioned, fully low floor, accessible to all passengers, environmentally-friendly with Euro 6 engines and low emissions and equipped with all the latest safety technology. Cosmen also spoke about the new upgraded sales outlet within the Arrivals Lounge at the airport and other products and services that were launched this year. “It has been a very busy year and I would like to take the opportunity to thank all our employees – drivers, inspectors, mechanics, controllers, supervisors – everyone. I appreciate their commitment and support in the implementation of all these initiatives, despite the daily challenges that they face.”
Cosmen touched on the realities that drivers are facing each day, saying that drivers are finding it increasingly difficult to get from one place to another on time. Vehicles are double parked, parked on corners or simply blocking the way. This is making it difficult for drivers to manoeuvre buses on the road and is frustrating passengers.
“Our passengers are telling us that they are not happy that their journey is being delayed. It isn’t fair that our passengers cannot board the bus safely because there are vehicles parked on bus stops,” Cosmen maintained. “We know that people are willing to make a change. We have seen an increase of regular travellers using their tallinja card. More and more people are giving public transport a try. But if bus passengers aren’t given priority on the road, then they will start going back to their cars and traffic will get worse.”
“Our Group’s international experience has taught us that the challenges we face are similar to other places. Many countries and cities face the same challenges, they adapted and they succeeded,” concluded Cosmen. “We are confident that these new buses will have a direct impact on this success. We are increasing capacity, offering the opportunity for more and more people to make a change and jump on our buses.”