Thirty new fully electric, zero emissions buses were added to Malta’s scheduled public transport fleet on Thursday when the  country’s first electric bus charging station was also inaugurated.

Representing an investment of €20 million, the buses will provide up to 410 more trips each day along 16 important routes. 

Also announced was a pilot project for an electric minibus, that will be tested in village cores and low-demand routes. 

The announcement was made by Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia together with Malta Public Transport chairman Felipe Cosmen in Floriana.  

The govenment was investing heavily in public transport, Farrugia said, adding it was "putting our money where our mouth is".

The government would be investing an additional €5.1 million every year into public transport, including free public transport. he said, adding the operator was investing heavily as well. 

Acknowledging the challenges faced by bus users, the minister said they were aware of issues including delays and diversions, and issues faced by those with families.

"If at least a person uses a bus three times a week, that would change things and we believe we can work harder to move in that direction," he said.

There would be "zero tolerance" on parking on bus stops, Farrugia warned, adding that current enforcement would continue to increase. 

The new buses feature USB charging points, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.

"Enforcement on parking on bus stops will be taken to another level," he said.

More inspectors were needed to continue delivering value for money, the minister said.

“Government will keep on collaborating with the operator so that the country receives a valuable service and routes and frequencies are changed to meet the needs of the many new demographics. This is in addition to our commitment to further electrify the fleet," he said.  

Farrugia also spoke about a new mobile application offering real-time data on the location of buses, which would be announced in due course. 

The new 12-metre King Long Amigo electric buses are equipped with air conditioning, USB chargers, and free Wi-Fi, can travel up to 300 kilometres on a single charge and promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70%. 

Malta Public Transport chairman Felipe Cosman. The new buses were announced by Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia alongside Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.

While most of the buses will be charged during the night, the newly unveiled charging station offers fast-charging facilities for daytime use.

Six million passengers in August

Declaring that in August, Malta’s public transport system carried six million passengers, Cosmen said this showed confidence in the buses, calling the news “extremely positive.”  

Efforts were still needed to make public transport even more attractive, however, he continued, adding Malta Public Transport was working with the ministry to identify short and medium-term solutions to alleviate congestion. 

Malta now had one of the largest electric bus fleets in southern Europe, he said, adding the new charging station was able to charge up to 30 buses at the same time. 

Cosmen also acknowledged problems with the bus system, saying that commuters had reported journeys taking too long when compared to private vehicles. 

“We need to introduce more priority measures for those people who are choosing to leave their cars at home,” he said, adding the company was committed to having a completely zero-emission bus fleet by 2033. 

“This investment is a significant step towards our vision of a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for the Maltese bus service.”

A new electric minibus service was also announced. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.