The number of people who commuted by bus in January increased by 17% when compared to pre-pandemic times.

According to data published on Thursday, Malta Public Transport carried 4.5 million passengers in the first month of 2023 - an increase of 59% compared to January 2022 and 17% when compared to January 2019.

This translates to 140,000 individual Tallinja Card holders travelling by bus during January 2023, compared to 91,000 in January 2022 and 120,000 in January 2019. It also means there has been a 15% increase in individuals who used the bus at least once compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The number of passengers travelling on Tallinja Direct routes (not free) also more than doubled when compared to 2019, MPT said. 

“These positive results are clear evidence that more and more passengers are choosing to travel by bus,” said Konrad Pulé, MPT's general manager.

“We need to focus on making journeys by public transport quicker so that we can continue to meet the increasing demand for public transport.” 

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