Bus passengers have increased by 15 per cent since public transport was made free this month, Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia has claimed. 

The increase was when compared to the number of public transport users in September, the minister said.

But he acknowledged that public transport is still carrying fewer commuters than it did before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the number of people using buses hit historic lows.  

According to statistics cited by the minister on Friday, in September 2022, there were 24 per cent fewer people using the public bus system when compared to September 2019. 

“Yet in October of this year, there are only 9 per cent fewer passengers, when compared to September 2022, and this is a positive step,” he said.

Malta pledged to make buses free during last year’s budget, with that initiative having started on October 1. 

Residents must possess a valid Tallinja bus card to travel for free. Anyone without a Tallinja card must purchase a valid ticket.  

The country is the second country in Europe, after Luxembourg, to make buses free for all residents.

Plans to grow bus fleet  

The minister said there has also been an increase in the number of people purchasing a Tallinja bus card. 

Work would now focus on growing the fleet of buses serving public transport routes, he said. 

“As the demand increases, so must the supply, and that is why by the first quarter of 2023, we will add 25 new buses to our current flock,” Farrugia said. 

Those new buses would all be electric, he said, adding that a further 102 existing buses would be replaced with electric equivalents in due course. 

There are also plans to install CCTV cameras at certain bus stops and increase enforcement to punish road users that stop at bus stops, blocking buses from pulling up and causing traffic. 

Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia said metro is still on the cards. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

Studies undergoing to see how 'feasible' metro is

The sole traffic-focused measure announced during the Budget 2023 speech was a pledge to try and stop some service vehicles from occupying roads during morning rush hour. 

Farrugia was unable to provide any further detail about this, saying there would be "discussions" about how to move forward with this and that his ministry would be looking at models adopted abroad to tackle the same issue. 

The minister also addressed the proposal for a three-line underground metro system, unveiled last year under then Transport Minister Ian Borg. 

The proposal has since been very rarely cited and the metro was not mentioned during last Monday's budget reveal.

“I will be very clear; this is still part of our plan and we are working on it,” he said. 

“We have the technical studies, and we know the project is doable, they also told us the figures of how much it will cost. What is next is to see that it is financially feasible for the country to take on."

He said once he has all the figures, he will discuss them with the cabinet, and a collective government discussion will be taken.