Why Transport in Malta is Messed Up.

 If you visited Malta more than 3 years ago, chances are you took one of those old rattling yellow buses which are still memorialized in the form of plaster souvenirs all over the island.  You may have enjoyed the novelty, but would not have relished relying on those aging, stiflingly heated hunks of metal to meet your daily commuting needs.

Arriva took over in the middle of summer 2011 with bright and shiny buses imported from Sweden and London.    The bright and shiny buses proceeded to burst into flames just about as soon as they were introduced to the unforgiving Maltese weather.  That's if they turned up at the right time, or at all.  Safe to say that Arriva did not always live up to it's name.

All this is a rather lengthy way of saying that people don't much like taking buses in this country.  Particularly the Maltese people - tourists often don't have much of a choice.  

New Buses for Summer in Malta

When we arrived back in Malta after our sojourn in the East, our taxi ride from the airport was diverted due to the presence of a burning bus in the middle of the road.  This was not the aftermath of riotous scenes, but rather the unfortunate tendency of the bendy buses to self-combust in the heat of a Maltese summer.  

Or in this case, a Maltese winter.

A Bus from the Airport (or, 'A Tale of Two Cities')

One.

Your flight has landed in Dublin Airport, Ireland.

After getting your bags and going through Customs, (it shouldn't take long), you leave the terminal and see the bus zone on your left.


Walk up to the friendly man in the Aircoach uniform, who will tell you exactly where to go and which bus you need to take for your destination.

When the luxury coach arrives - right on time, as per the electronic display - the driver will help you to put your bags in the storage compartment and takes note of your destination so that he can make sure you are dropped off at the right place.

The journey takes about 45 minutes, but the padded seats are comfortable, and the free wi-fi keeps you amused.  At €13 a ticket, it's not cheap, but you are paying for a premium product.

 Premium quality & friendly, but very pricey:  Welcome to Dublin!



Two.

Your flight has landed in Luqa Airport, Malta.

After getting your bags and going through Customs, (it shouldn't take long),you leave the terminal and see the bus zone on your right.

Waiting..

8.45 am.  Waiting for a bus in Sliema.

There are two digital timers on the bus stop at Sliema ferries.  The function of these things is to count down the minutes until the next bus arrives.  Very hi-tech.  7 minutes.  5 minutes.  3 minutes. 1 minute.  Until finally, the 'Due' signal flashes up.  This is to indicate that the bus is 'due' to arrive, or at least I guess that this was the manufacturers' original intention.

Nothing happens for a minute or two.  We gaze expectantly towards the oncoming traffic.  We look back at the timer.  The road again.  And then the clock deletes this bare-faced untruth, as though embarrassed, and moves onto the next potential arrival.  7 minutes.  5 minutes.  3 minutes.  And so it goes on.

Buses in Malta

Out with the old...

For many, many years, yellow buses of varying vintage were a common sight as they chugged along Malta's highways and byways.  (Note: there are no actual highways in Malta, and probably too many byways).  Since June of 2011 however, these buses have been consigned to the junkyard - or at least 'retired' - although obviously there are a few still tootling around offering private tours. 

How to get around - Important Bus Routes in Malta

I thought I would give you some info on which buses to take if you are doing some travelling around Malta.  I have based this upon my top ten places to get to, and assumed that most tourists are based in Sliema/St Julians; Bugibba; Mellieha; St Paul's Bay or Valletta.  I have shown direct routes where available but the '+' symbol means you need to change buses.

to Airport:

from Sliema/StJulian:    X2

from Bugibba:                X3 direct; or 12 (to Pembroke) + X1

from Valletta:                 X4 or X5 or X7

from St Pauls:                221 or 223 (to Buggiba) + X3
from Mellieha                 X1 (only from Mellieha bay or Belle View Interchange)

to Blue Grotto:                             

from Sliema/StJulian:    X2 + 201;  12 or 13 or 15 (to Valletta) + 71 (summer only)

from Bugibba:                X3 + 201; (or via Valletta in summer)

from Valletta:                 71 (summer only) ; X4 or X5 or X7 (to airport) + 201

from St Pauls:                41 or 42 (to Valletta) + 71

from Mellieha:               X1 (to airport) + 201 (or via Valletta)

to Buskett Gardens & Dingli Cliffs:                                                             
from Sliema/StJulian:    202
From all other locations, take bus to Rabat (see below), then change onto bus 202 to Buskett, or 201 or 202 to Dingli Cliffs

to: Gozo/Comino ferries (Cirkewwa):                                              (Read about Gozo here)
from Sliema/StJulian:    222
from Bugibba:                221
from Valletta:                  41 or 42
from St Pauls:                41 or 42 or 221 or 222
from Mellieha:                41 or 42 or 101 or 102 or 221 or 222