A new feature of the Tallinja mobile app which allows users to see the location of buses in real time got off to a bumpy start on Monday.

While some users were able to see the progress of buses on Malta’s roads, others were left in the dark about the location of their next ride.

Route planning and the locations of bus stops also appeared to be absent for some, with Android users seemingly more affected than those with Apple devices.

By Monday afternoon, however, the issues appeared to have been resolved, with bus tracking seemingly available to all users.

A spokesperson for Malta Public Transport acknowledged that some users may have encountered a "minor disruption" as the feature was rolled out and apologised to customers. 

The feature was first announced in a social media post by Transport Minister Chris Bonett on Sunday.

Touting the update as “another step towards making public transport more efficient,” the minister promised that users would be able to track their bus’ location from Monday using the Tallinja app.

But the next morning, not all users seemed able to enjoy the benefits of the new feature.

Several Facebook users reported being unable to track the location of buses in the app, and an exercise by Times of Malta suggested the app was not showing live information for those with Android devices.

Android users were left without the locations of buses and bus stops, route planning and information about service disruptions.

Satirist Matt Bonano reported not being able to see the position of buses in a Facebook comment underneath news of the update, with others soon chiming in that they were facing the same issue.

Masu Andrija Nidecki said there seemed to be “no buses at all” according to his app, while Onaka Ippai said no buses, stops or routes were showing for him.

Issues facing Ippai seemed widespread for Android users while Apple devices seemed unaffected by the bug.  

One daily user of the bus service said "I'm very thankful that they finally implemented the live tracking". 

By Monday afternoon, however, the issues appeared to have been resolved, with both Apple and Android devices appearing to show the progress of buses travelling around the country.

A spokesperson confirmed the feature was "fully functional". She said the feature had been rolled out "in various stages to allow for an adequate testing period".

"Some customers may have experienced a minor disruption to the Tallinja App service this morning, as the feature was updated to all devices. We apologise for any inconvenience caused during these few minutes."

And while the update has likely come as welcome news for bus users, it has been on the cards for years.

The MPT app was first launched in 2016, promising real-time bus tracking updated every 30 seconds.

Speaking at the app's launch back then, a spokesperson for the operator called its introduction a “big step forward”, but despite these words, it was another eight years before live tracking was introduced.

Transport Malta figures issued last month revealed that the number of bus users went up by a third after the service was made free in 2022.