Vancouver 2025

The City of Vancouver is a coastal seaport on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Located on the western half of the Burrard Peninsula, Vancouver is bounded to the north by English Bay and the Burrard Inlet and to the south by the Fraser River, and covers an area of 44 square miles. On the western end of the city is the 400-hectare Stanley Park. The city population is 766,296, whilst the greater metro area has in excess of 3m. Much of the city centre is built on a gentle incline from the waterfront and features a mixture of heritage buildings and ultra-modern architecture. Coast Mountain Bus Company, an operating subsidiary of TransLink, provides bus and trolleybus services, operating 1550 conventional buses on 232 routes and 262 trolleybuses on 13 routes. There are thriving convention, visitor and cruise sectors which are catered for by several coach companies. 

Wilson’s Transportation Ltd of Victoria, Vancouver Island operate express services from various points in downtown Vancouver to Victoria on Vancouver Island using BC Ferries Connector name. The summer schedule has six daily departures and the winter schedule has four with a total end-to-end journey time of four hours. Photographed at the Vancouver Pacific Central Station terminus is fleet number C262, a Prevost H3-45, acquired from Pacific Coach Lines in 2019.  

Coast Mountain Bus Company 18381, Nova Bus LFS HEV, BAE HybriDrive HDS200.  104 buses of this type entered service between November 2018 and May 2019. Service 22 is a north-south route connecting South Vancouver and Downtown Vancouver every 15 minutes. The bus is photographed south bound on Burrard Street.

Universal Coach Line is based in Richmond, an area south of central Vancouver close to the international airport, and provide private hire, contract and tourist services. Prevost H3-45 new in 2015 wears a vinyl wrap for the free shuttle service to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, 9km from downtown. The free shuttle operates all year round with pick-ups at Canada Place on the water front and the Hyatt Regency Hotel in the city centre. On the day of our visit Universal were providing a multi-vehicle shuttle service from the Canada Place Convention Centre, hence the No.2 on the clipboard in the windscreen.

Epic Rides was founded in 2010 offering minivan services from the international airport. In 2025 they operated five Volvo powered Prevost H3-45 coaches from downtown to Whistler, a ski resort in the Blackcomb mountains 121 kilometers from Vancouver, up to six times a day, with a journey time of 1hr 45mins. The coach is making a left turn into the city centre terminus located on Melville Street adjacent to Burrard Skytrain Station and the Hyatt Regency hotel.

Vancouver receives around 800,000 cruise passengers and over 11m visitors a year. Westcoast Sightseeing have been providing sightseeing services in Vancouver since 1984. Currently in excess of fifty-one vehicles of various types are operated including Alexander Dennis Enviro 500 double-deckers. Fleet number 293 is an ElDorado Escort RE dating from 2001 and used primarily on hotel transfers to the main tour fleet. Big Bus branding is used for much of the operation and a booking kiosk is maintained at Canada Place on the waterfront. 

Coast Mountain Bus Company 21025, an NFI XDE60 delivered in 2021. The last of a batch of 25 delivered between March and June 2022. Operating route 2, a north-south route connecting Dunbar Loop and Downtown Vancouver via Kitsilano. It is a frequent 15 minutes service operating seven days a week. The bus is turning from Burrard Street into Pender Street.

West Vancouver Transit (Blue Bus), formerly West Vancouver Municipal Transit, is owned and operated by the District Municipality of West Vancouver under a contract with TransLink. The system started operating in 1912 and is one of the oldest continually operated municipal transit systems in North America. Fleet number 907 is one of nine Nova Bus LFS units built in 2009. Route 250 is an east-west route connecting Horseshoe Bay with Downtown Vancouverl. The bus is on West Georgia Street in downtown, approaching the end of the route. 

No visit to downtown Vancouver can ignore the extensive trolleybus network with 13 routes, 262 buses and over 370 kilometers of wires.  Coast Mountain Bus Company 2144, an NFI E40LF Škoda 19 ML 3550 K/4 dating from 2006 waits at the junction of Granville Street and West Hastings Street approaching the historic area of the city centre. Route 16 is an east-west route connecting 29th Avenue Station and the 63rd Avenue Loop at West 63rd Avenue & Granville Street, operating every 10 to 15 minutes. 

Bus and Coach World

Eastbourne – Figure-of-eight.

Go Ahead Brighton & Hove Wrightbus in Brighton.

Mid-point between vibrant Brighton and down-at-heel Hastings, Eastbourne still maintains a genteel air of grandeur associated with British seaside towns of old. For the bus traveller it is an ideal location for exploration of East Sussex and southern parts of Kent, although operator variety is sadly lacking. The area is dominated by two of the UKs largest groups, Go Ahead and Stagecoach.

The first of two sunny October days starts with a gentle stroll along the prom to Cornfield Road, now the main bus terminus in the town centre since semi-pedestrianisation of Terminus Road, the main shopping throughfare. The first bus of the day should be the 10am Brighton & Hove service 12A to Brighton: the reality however, despite B&H’s reputation for quality service, is a line of three vehicles all awaiting departure, two displaying route 12A and one 12X which is the slightly faster route as it sticks closer to the coast road. First to pull up to the stop at 9.58am is YX24 PPK an Alexander Dennis E40D MMC, on the 12X which I assume was the late running 9.47am departure. Whilst waiting to board, the driver of the scheduled 10am departure of the 12A decides to by-pass the stop ignoring any waiting passengers and continues ahead of the loading 12X. As our final destination is Brighton this fiasco mattered little to us and we settle into our top-deck front seats for the 1hr 20min journey. The route departs Eastbourne through the old town leading to a long, very steep climb up East Dean Road onto the downs which shows the limitations of the low powered modern double-decker bus and the inability of automatic gearboxes to predict the terrain. The magnificent views continue as the bus crosses the estuary at Seven Sisters before reaching Seaford and a short layover in the town centre. A short lapse in the scenery, as the route continues west into Newhaven where a driver changeover takes place. The climb out of Newhaven brings the route back onto the coast, the road undulating as it passes through Peacehaven, Saltdean and Rottingdean with the first distant views of Brighton appearing on the horizon. Entering the city of Brighton, the first landmark is the modern marina whilst on the right-hand side are the beautiful facades of the Georgian terrace houses before the bus turns inland at the Palace Pier. Where once corporation buses parked and Southdown coaches turned into the coach station, there is now work in progress turning the area into a wide pedestrian boulevard and we leave the bus whilst it continues to the terminus at the railway station. 

Go Ahead Brighton & Hove Alexander Dennis E40D MMC about to depart for Eastbourne.

For the bus enthusiast Brighton is a gem. Few cities outside of London can boast such an intense bus network with the majority of services provided by Go Ahead Brighton & Hove; several routes provided by Stagecoach including the intensive 700 service, and Compass Bus operating a small network of contracted services on behalf of the council. Besides plenty of photographic opportunities, there are also numerous opportunities for lunch before our next journey.

At 2.36pm we are waiting on Churchill Square at stop G for Regency branded route 28 - a 2hr 25min inland return journey to Eastbourne. YY25 DNV, another E40D MMC, departs on time and we start a thirty-minute crawl along the A27 through the north Brighton suburbs, making a short stop outside the B&H depot on Lewis Road for a driver change. The route continues along the A270 through a built-up area before turning onto a slip road at Falmer Hill, where the A270 meets the A27. A dilapidated bus shelter on the slip road caters for passengers accessing the university campus and football stadium. Approaching Lewis from the south you get the opportunity to enjoy the architecture of this old coaching town as the bus descends into the town centre. The one-way system brings you to a bus stop directly opposite the former bus station/depot, now in a sorry state and looking for a buyer, whilst the numerous roadside bus stops are an inconvenience to car drivers using the busy T junction. The bus completes a full circuit of the one-way system, climbs back up through the town centre, turns right to cross the River Ouse and then into the industrial estate. After enjoying a selection of warehouses and out of town shops we emerge onto the side of the downs just before the turning to Ringmer, the next destination on the route. By the time we arrive the schools are out, the King’s Academy is a large school and the next three bus stops at teaming with children. Before departing the village, the bus turns off the main road making a long one-way circuit through a large housing estate collecting still more children. Eventually we reach open countryside and after some miles and arriving at the small village of Laughton, we start to drop off a few children. Shortly afterwards the bus joins a long queue of traffic waiting to turn right and join the A22, a long straight stretch of road leading to Hailsham, a large town where most of the children leave the bus at various stops along the route. We wait time at the town centre, an opportunity to admire the skills of the Turkish barbers, before heading out of town and rejoining the A22. The bus by-passes Polgate before joining the A2270 for a slow journey through the northern suburbs of Eastbourne with a short diversion to visit the East Sussex College campus and General Hospital. The bus arrives at Eastbourne town centre on time at one minute past five, the western loop of out figure eight completed.

Day two and once again we wake to a beautiful sunrise over the English Channel, not a single rubber dingy in sight. By 9.35am we are again standing in Cornfield Road waiting for the 9.40am departure of Stagecoach route 99 to Hastings. Yesterday was a Go Ahead day, today will be a Stagecoach day and will prove to be an interesting contrast. Whereas Go Ahead has a clearly defined product and marketing strategy e.g. quality, Stagecoach has for many years seemed unable to define their product as attempts with ‘Gold’ have now fallen by the wayside, leaving a mixture of ill-defined liveries, an aging unkept fleet, poor driving standards and shabby uniforms. All that aside, SK20 AXG, an AD E40D new to Greater Manchester, departs on time, with us in our favourite top-deck front seat. The route starts by leaving Eastbourne via the coast road before hitting the modern urban sprawl containing huge retail parks typical of so many towns and cities these days. We drop a German family at Pevensey, intent on seeking out the castle whilst wondering if they have a return or dayrider ticket. The landscape becomes flat for the next few miles before we enter the outskirts of Bexhill-on-Sea and work our way through the dense housing estates before arriving into the town centre. Bexhill could be a poster town for the government’s policy of vehicle electrification, just a pity in this case most of those vehicles are mobility scooters. The bus continues through the town passing the art deco De La Warr Pavilion on the seafront, now looking slightly worse for wear, before calling at the railway station and leaving the town. Sadly, the next part of the journey is rather depressing: the main road through Bulverhythe and St Leonards is littered with unkept industrial units and poorly maintained housing. Eventually reaching the Hastings’ seafront, the view out to sea offers some relief but it is all too apparent why this area of the country is considered to be one of the most deprived. At Hastings town centre we alight at the shops but there is little to lift the spirits, however a cup of tea and a breath of sea air helps after which we walk up hill to the bus station.

Stagecoach in Hastings.

In its favour, Hastings does have a modern bus station that is located directly outside the railway station and adjacent to the East Sussex College campus. We are waiting for the 12.36pm departure of route 1066 to Royal Tunbridge Wells and the bus finally arrives five minutes late on the inward journey. One grumpy driver and a full load of passenger aboard and we are away in no time. Whilst buses branded for the 1066 were running around Hastings, none were observed on the actual route with our bus being a recent repaint into the new standard Stagecoach livery, Scania K230UB with AD bodywork. After enjoying a pleasant journey from Eastbourne, unfortunately this journey was to prove my point about Stagecoach’s inconsistences. The driver sped along and then kept waiting time at every village on route, he was also discourteous to passengers and, in particular, some of the school children we would eventually pick up. The 1066 leaves Hastings on a long uphill section of route through the densely populated suburbs before hitting open countryside with far reaching views and soon arrives into Battle, hence the route number (Stagecoach have an ‘eye’ for marketing). Battle is a pleasant little town and we get some time to admire the Abbey whilst we wait time, the bus stops being directly outside, before continuing up the High Street. At this point the route has two variants, we are on the one going via Whatlington, which necessitates a right turn from the High Street onto Mount Street and we experience a dangerous driver manoeuvre on the part of the bus driver. Without stopping, we turn right across the flow of traffic into narrow Mount Street, with cars waiting to turn into the High Street, we are unable to get past the cars and are now blocking the road in all directions causing a standoff. The issue is resolved by cars reversing and then mounting the pavement enabling the bus to squeeze pass. Needless to say, we then head at speed through open countryside to Whatlington and on to St. Johns Cross, where we rejoin the other route variant and continue to Robertsbridge to pick up our first passengers since leaving Battle. Robertsbridge is a pretty village, once on the main road but now by-passed by the A21. Groups of children are waiting at the two bus stops in the village, heading for home at 1.20pm: the English education system, discuss! A few children alight in Hurst Green, but most remain onboard until we reach Hawkhurst crossroads, where once again we wait time. Interestingly, the bus stop flag displays eight routes, quite a number for such a small town. Before turning left there is just enough time to reminisce about the Maidstone & District depot and bus station that until 2006 stood just a short distance to our right. On this route you do get to see some wonderful villages and countryside, as we now pass through Flimwell before reaching Ticehurst, picking up the last passenger for this trip and once again waiting time. Just twenty-eight minutes of the journey remains and we have Wadhurst to pass through before reaching Royal Tunbridge Wells, which we do four minutes early at 2.18pm.  

Royal Tunbridge Wells built on a hillside, exudes wealth. The lower town centre where the railway station and main terminus point for many of the bus routes is located has many fine Georgian buildings, whilst the upper town centre has a more modern feel to it with bus stops spread over three roads including a section controlled by a bus gate. The principal operator in the town is Arriva with Go Ahead and Stagecoach providing limited longer distance services. It is encouraging to see three independent operators still providing services: Autocar, Go Coach and Hams all have routes into the town centre. After a late lunch and time for photography, we need to move on.

Ham's Volvo/MCV in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Go Coach Scania in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

For the final journey of the day, we are back on Stagecoach for their route 51 to Eastbourne. The afternoon timetable has an irregular headway and we are waiting for the 4.40pm departure. Twenty-nine minutes prior to this a Tunbridge Wells Boys' Grammar School, school days only service 251 (a short working 51) should depart, going as far as Heathfield. However, with just minutes to go before our bus is due, the bus stop is teaming with school children. At 4.40pm the 251 arrives and a sudden rush to board occurs, and I enquire with the driver as to the whereabouts of the 51. He informs me it is right behind and sure enough, on cue, an AD E40D pulls up behind with just ourselves, two other adults and a handful of children left to board. This is to prove a pleasant way to end the day, bagging our top deck front seats, a driver of the old school and a generous running time, we settle in for the next 2 hours and 18 minutes. The first twenty minutes is a pleasant run through open countryside along the A267 to Marks Cross, a small village, now bypassed by the main road. This is followed by a much longer diversion off the main road to the much larger and prettier village of Rotherfield. Once back on the main road it is only a short distance before we turn off again, this time heading in Mayfield, where before entering the village centre we wait time on the fire station forecourt. The village is dominated by the church and extensive grounds of the private school. We return to the main road and with light traffic make good time to Cross-in-Hand where once again we wait time, before entering Heathfield where a five minutes layover is timetabled in. Having watched the comings and goings in the fish and chip shop, we set off along Heathfield High Street before turning right to Horam and rejoining the A267. Thirty-one minutes later, just like yesterday, we find ourselves in Hailsham, where the last of the children from Tunbridge Wells leave the bus and we again wait time. Unlike yesterday the run to Eastbourne takes us into Polegate and we collect our final passenger of the day and wait time outside the railway station. The remainder of the route replicates yesterday journey and we arrive on time into Eastbourne at 6.58pm, nine hours after we departed from the same bus stop. 

This part of the country is well worth exploring with wonderful countryside, beautiful villages, interesting coastline and plenty of history. All helped of course by a comprehensive bus network, making it even better!    

Bus and Coach World     

Downtown Toronto 2025.

 

The city of Toronto is situated on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario, covering an area of 630sq km with a population of 3,025,647. The shoreline stretches for 43 km. The majority of downtown, like many North American cities, is laid out in a typical grid (block) system. Traffic flow is relatively light with the exception of the Gardiner Expressway, an ugly elevated roadway running parallel with the shoreline, which remains clogged for most of the day.

Public transport is provided by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). There are three metro lines (the fourth line is permanently closed); eleven tram (streetcar) routes and numerous bus routes. Services are frequent and there is an extensive night time network. 

The public transit service for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is provided by GO Transit a division of Metrolinx which is an agency of the Ontario Government. Whilst trains operate into the city centre, very few buses on the GO network do so as most provide feeder services to train and metro stations around the perimeter. The exception being at peak times when the city centre Union station bus terminal on Bay Street is used and provides the opportunity to see double-decker Alexander Dennis Enviro 500s in service.  

Toronto Transit Commission 8476. NovaBus LFS, new 2015. Operating route 114, this is an east to west route following the lake shore until it reaches Bay Street when it turns inland for the short distance to the route terminus at Union Station, from where a loop around the block brings the bus back onto Bay Street ready for the return journey. The photograph shows the bus on Bay Street at the junction of Harbour Street shortly after leaving the water front.

Go Transit/Metrolinx 2578 an MCI D4500, new in 2014, parked on the upper level of the Union station bus terminal, located at the north-east corner of Bay Street and Lake Shore Boulevard. The departure board displayed three routes departing from the terminal, of which route 21 to Milton, west of the city, was the most frequent. The service terminates at either Go Transit Lisgar Station or Mississauga City Centre Transit Terminal at Square One, with journey times of between 1hr 10mins and 1hr 50 mins.  

TOK Coachlines (Tokmakjian Inc.) operate a free shuttle bus service between Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and Downtown Toronto. 2805 an ElDorado E-Z Rider ll BRT, new in 2016, one of four in the fleet currently available for this service, and photographed on Front Street.  Tokmakjian Inc. began operating the service in April 2016, taking over from Pacific Western which had operated the service since its inception. 

TOK Coachlines (Tokmakjian Inc.) 3401. TEMSA TS30, new 2020 is one of three currently in the fleet. TOK Coachlines, a division of Tokmakjian Inc. (formerly Can-ar Coach Service), is a coach company based in Concord, Ontario. Founded as Travelways in 1948. Cy Tokmakjian took over the company in 1983 and changed the name to Can-ar Coach Service, rebranding as TOK in 2010. 

Eastern Charter Inc. 102 a Prevost H3-45, new to Autocar in 2014. Eastern Charter are a subsidiary of Universal Coach Line. In late 2023 they became a contractor for FlixBus, and operate the London-Toronto-Ottawa route. The coach is in the livery of Compass Holidays based in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Rider Express 19 is a Prevost H3-45. Rider Express Transportation is a company that provides scheduled passenger transportation and parcel express services based out of Regina, Saskatchewan and operating in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. The company pick up on Lake Shore Boulevard outside the Union Bus Terminus, operating services from Toronto to Ottawa via Kingston; Ottawa via Peterborough, and Toronto-Niagara Falls, operating 4 days a week.

Gallexy Tours Ltd of Toronto GT5588 a Prevost X3-45, new in 2013 and previously operated by Concord Coach Lines. In April 2022 Gallexy became a contractor for FlixBus, operating the routes from Toronto to Ottawa, London and Sarnia, Niagara Falls, Sudbury, and Owen Falls. The coach is at the junction of Lake Shore Boulevard West/Lower Simcoe Street having come off the Gardiner Expressway. 

When the Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Hockey Team play at the Scotiabank Arena in the city centre the police are out in force to control the large (18,800 hockey capacity) good natured crowd. However, just in case someone needs a night in the cells, transport is at hand. Parked on Bremner Boulevard is Toronto Police Events Support vehicle, Orion 07.501. New to Toronto Transit Commission in 2006.

Bus and Coach World

Canada (14 visits, 43 years).

 

Canadian Pacific by Hank Snow is a song describing a journey by CP Rail across Canada that resonated with me from a youthful age. Today, however, the journey described in the song, from Newfoundland on the east coast to British Columbia on the west coast, is no longer possible by train, but it can be re-enacted by road and in a much shorter time than the 43 years it has taken us. Our exploring by RV has been somewhat geographically erratic but for the sake of this article the route is in logical order from the Atlantic (east) to Pacific (west) coast and north to Alaska with the operator information being current as at 2025.

We begin on a poignant note, on the west coast of Newfoundland, looking out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence towards the province of Labrador, known as ‘iceberg ally’, watching icebergs slowly melt and disappear into the sea. Turning inland and crossing the relatively flat geography of Newfoundland to the island’s west coast and the capital, St John’s. St. John’s is set around a large natural harbour with a narrow entrance overlooked on both shorelines by two former British military batteries, with a current population of 223,667. St. John’s Transportation Commission (Metrobus) has a fleet of 59 buses, 51 of which are NovaBus LFS’s (Fig. 1) dating from 2001 to 2016, operating 22 routes. The remaining eight buses are smaller, used primarily for demand response operations.

Moving on south via the ferry onto Cape Breton Island and an anti-clockwise drive via the Highlands Nation Park and crossing onto Nova Scotia heading for the ferry port at Caribou (Fig.2). Before 1997 the only way onto Prince Edward Island was via the ferry. After May 31^st 1997 the Confederation Bridge joined the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. The 12.9 kilometre (8 mile) long bridge is the longest in the world crossing ice-covered water. The Island has a small bus fleet of 19 vehicles mainly second hand, operating as T3 Transit in the capital Charlottetown and rural districts.

Returning to Nova Scotia, the next stop on a clockwise route around the province is the capital Halifax. Located on either side of an inlet off the Atlantic Ocean with a population of 492,199. Public transport in the greater Halifax area is provided by Halifax Transit, (Fig.3), with 376 buses and 5 passenger ferries. The modern fleet with an average age of just under nine years consists primarily of NovaBus and NFI products. 71 bus routes are operated including three regional express services which connect to an extensive park & ride network and, in the case of service 320, the airport.

Moving on to the north shore of Nova Scotia overlooking the Bay of Fundy, famed for having the highest tides in the world, we come to the largest town in the area, Kentville and then the much smaller town of Wolfville. Wolfville is at the centre of the local wine industry and in summer a seasonal Routemaster bus tour operates from the local tourist information office to various wineries. The more conventional bus network is operated by Kings Transit Authority (Fig.4), with a fleet of 16 buses, operating five routes with variations, some timetabled to last almost two hours.  

The journey across the next province, New Brunswick, is relatively bus free. The most frequent sightings are of Coach Atlantic express services operating in and out of Halifax. Skirting the USA border and following the St. Lawrence River, we now enter the French speaking part of Canada and the next stop, Montréal. The largest city on the trip so far, with a population of 1,762,949 and popular as a tourist destination with many historic buildings and a riverside promenade. Société de transport de Montréal (STM) (Fig.5), serves the city with a fleet of 1,988 buses, primarily NovaBus LFS’s, covering 149 all day routes, 23 rush hour, 23 night and 45 express routes.

From Montréal it is a long drive following the St. Lawence River, the north shore of Lake Ontario, through the endless urban sprawl of greater Toronto, eventually arriving into central Toronto. Toronto is the largest city in Canada, and the metropolitan area has a population of 7 million people. It is modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan but with a relaxed air and laidback vibe that is helped by its location on Lake Ontario and a beautiful waterfront. The modern architecture, some of it stunning, does overshadow what remains of the older city buildings but not in a detrimental way. City transport is in the hands of the Toronto Transit Commission (Fig. 6) with a fleet of 2,066 buses, plus a fleet of trams and light rail units. The majority of the bus fleet prior to 2015 consisted of vehicles from Orion Bus Industries, whilst more recent deliveries are from NovaBus. The greater metropolitan area is served by Go Transit with an extensive bus, coach and rail network, most well-known to readers will be its large fleet of Alexander Dennis Enviro 500s. Moving on, and a complete contrast as the city gives way to hundreds of miles of lakes and trees before heading inland for even more trees, all within a relatively flat topography.

Eventually, having crossed from Eastern to the Central time zone and into the province of Manitoba, Winnipeg is on the horizon. Offering little for the tourist, this mainly industrial city with a population of 836,250 merely serves as a staging-post for us before continuing west. The city does however have a bus network provided by Winnipeg Transit with 633 buses (Fig.7). In June 2025 a new bus network was launched breaking the network into eight service types with more direct routes and easier interchange points, being called a ‘spine-and-feeder’ system by the Transit Authority. Between 2018 and 2021 the Authority purchased 202 new buses.

If we remained true to the original Canadian Rail route and the song lyrics we would now head off in the direction of Saskatchewan, eventually entering the province of Alberta to visit Edmonton. We however are taking the more southerly route into Alberta, the next stop being Calgary, gateway to the Rockies. The city is probably best known for the Stampede in July. Dissected by two rivers, the city centre is pleasant enough although nothing outstanding. Calgary has had a transit system since 1909 (Fig. 8). Today 1,016 buses operate 269 routes and 216 light rail cars are operated over two routes with a third under construction. Time to move on, The Rockies are calling.

One of the world’s most scenic drives, the 288 km (179 miles) between Banff and Jasper through their respective national parks are outstanding, although climate change has had a dramatic effect on the scenery since we first travelled the route over 40+ years ago. This, however, is Brewster Transport territory which is considered to be Canada’s oldest tourist company (Fig. 9). The history of Brewster was inexplicably linked to the development of tourism in the Rockies, when in 1892 the manager of Banff Springs Hotel made an evening visit to John Brewster at his dairy farm to ask if he knew of anybody willing to guide his hotel guests. It was in 1915 that the first motor vehicle was trialled resulting in an order for five Canadian built Overland vehicles, five seven seat Model 86-Ts and one five seat Model 85. Whilst ownership and management ebbed and flowed between various Brewster family members, financial stability was lacking. In 1965 Brewster Transport was purchased by Greyhound Canada. Subsequently, the business was acquired by Viad Travel and Recreation now trading as Pursuit, a multi-national tourist business, but the Brewster name remains dominant in the Rockies.

Before leaving the Rockies the final town of any size is Jasper, population 4,735 and the place where our travels and the railway once more converge. The Municipality of Jasper provides a three-route bus network using Ford Cutaway vehicles (Fig. 10). From here, both the road and rail routes start to descend out of the mountains and head south towards Kamloops. Whilst the railway line then heads west, we continue south to Osoyoos, an inland holiday resort on the Canadian/USA border where a sign on the lakeside beach reads ‘Going for a swim-remember your passport’. No time for a swim as we head west, eventually reaching Vancouver.

Vancouver has grown exponentially in the decades since our first two visits, the Metro Vancouver population now standing at 3,431,713. The city remains welcoming with a chilled, laid-back and waterside vibe. It is also the last point where we intersect with the cross Canada rail system and is the final verse in the Hank Snow song. On our first visit BC Transit (Fig. 11) was responsible for all public transport. However, on 1^st April 1999 operations were split, services in the Metro Vancouver area were transferred to Coast Mountain Bus Company, an operating subsidiary of TransLink. Coast Mountain Bus Company provides service in all 21 municipalities that make up Metro Vancouver area. Currently 232 bus,13 trolleybus, ten night bus and 6 Express bus routes are operated by 1,414 buses and 262 trolleybuses. Fleet renewal will see NovaBus supply large numbers of new electric buses during 2025-6 and unusually, orders for Solaris Trollino 12m and 18m trolleybuses have been placed for delivery in 2026-28.

Leaving Vancouver, heading south, you cross the Arthur Laing Bridge which affords a wonderful view of the huge transit depot with line upon line of buses and trolleybuses. On our journey we are heading for the ferry to Vancouver Island departing from Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. The crossing takes 90 minutes, initially across open water before cruising serenely between the Gulf Islands and arriving into Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. This crossing is well connected to public transport, on the mainland Translink operate bus route 620 whilst on Vancouver Island BC Transit operate two frequent services between the ferry port and downtown Victoria, the island capital. Alternatively, Wilson's Transportation Ltd., under the BC Ferry Connector name, operate an integrated coach/ferry service from various points throughout Vancouver city (Fig. 12).

Victoria, capital of British Columbia with a population of 397,237 has a small town cosmopolitan feel. The 56 route bus network is operated by BC Transit with a fleet of 301 buses (Fig. 13): the majority of older single deckers being NovaBus LFS’s, whilst more recent deliveries are New Flyer Industries XN40’s. Of greater interest, although not for this magazine, are the 47 Alexander Dennis Enviro 500 double deckers in the fleet. Many services operated by the Enviro’s, layover/depart from outside the Legislative Assembly on Government Street, whilst other routes using more conventional buses layover in Belleville Street.

From Victoria it is now a 498km (309 miles) drive to Port Hardy in the north of the island. As you head north the character of the island changes, from the flat well populated south to the rugged, sparsely populated north, where bears still roam. The destination is Bear Cove Ferry Terminal at Port Hardy for the BC Ferries car ferry to Prince Rupert, sailing through the Inside Passage, a journey of 16 hours 20 minutes. Hard to believe, but after all the miles and hours Prince Rupert is still in BC Transit territory and home to a two bus outstation (Fig. 14). Over the last three decades the outstation allocation remains at two vehicles: in 2025 these are GW Vicinity’s operated on behalf of BC Transit by PW Transit.

The long journey north and inland with just a minor diversion to visit the town of Stewart (Canada) and an unhindered walk into the adjacent town of Hyder (USA), eventually brings us to the last major city on the journey and the last transit system at Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon territory. Perversely, the area was better known to the Victorians than travellers in the 20^th/21^st century because of its importance during the goldrush era and still has a frontier feel. Whitehorse Transit is a small fleet of 13 buses operating 8 routes, originally started in 1976 as the Women's Minibus Society and the city became responsible for the network in 1981 (Fig. 15). The original fleet was supplemented with second hand vehicles during the mid-eighties and subsequent fleet renewal has been sporadic, as has support for the operator by city council members. Reading through the archive of council minutes it becomes clear that over the decades the general consensus has been, the network is too costly for a small city with a population of just 31,913. Just as the gold miners of old, we continue north.

The Yukon is sparsely populated, even by Canadian standards, as we travel along highway two before turning onto the Dempster Highway, eventually crossing into the Northwest Territories, and reaching the end of the road at Inuvik. Retracing our route back to highway two, we eventually arrive in Dawson City, but not before encountering a final tourist coach at Dredge No.4 National Historic Site (Fig. 16). We cross the Yukon River and leave Canada via the ‘Top of the World’ highway and enter Alaska, to start a new adventure.   

Fig 001. St. John’s Transportation Commission (Metrobus). BPC 346 (1208), NovaBus LFS with 38 seats, one of nine in the fleet, purchased in 2012. Route 3 has two variants, A and B, the A which this bus is operating misses out Eastern Health and Highland Drive at the northern end of the route. ‘Village’ shown on the destination blind is a large shopping centre at the southern end of the route, used as a timing point, the bus continues a loop around the local area before returning back north.

FIG 002.  A Prevost LeMirage of Greene Coach, Canada alighting from the PEI ferry, June 1990.

Fig 003.  New in 1982, Halifax Transit 867 is a General Motors Diesel Division (GMDD) T6H-5307N New Look, retired from service in 2004. Seen in downtown Halifax on route 7, a short twenty-minute route to the north of the city centre, operating every fifteen minutes. 

Fig 004. Kings Transit Authority No. 65 an ElDorado EZ Rider II (BRT style) from 2021. Seen in Wolfville on service 2E (E denoting east bound), nearing the end of the route, with just seven minutes remaining before terminating in Grande Pre.

Fig 005. Société de transport de Montréal (STM), 40-034, NovaBus LFS HEV, new in 2020. 251 of these buses were delivered in 2020 with two subsequent batches totalling 178 delivered in 2021/2. 40-034 is at the bus stop on Beaver Hall Hill operating route 35 from Angrignon Parc, adjacent to the metro station and large park & ride, in the south of the city to McGill Metro Station in the north. Griffintown shown on the destination screen is located in central downtown, it being a Sunday I am assuming this is a short working. 

Fig 006. Toronto Transit Commission 8523, NovaBus LFS dating from 2016, on Front Street/Union Station terminus about to depart on service 114 for Commissioners St at Carlaw, although the timetable states Lake Shore Garage Loop, a large bus depot just to the east of the terminus. The 114 has a ten-minute headway during the day. TTC operate 215 daytime routes, 27 night routes, 5 community routes, 27 express services. 

 

Fig 007. Winnipeg Transit 919, New Flyer XD40, fitted with Cummins L9 engine and Allison gearbox, delivered in 2024. Photographed on Kennedy Street running off duty from route 10. This area of the city has a few historical buildings housing the Legislative Assembly and Law Courts. 

Fig 008. 7^th Avenue, Calgary, Ontario Bus Industries 01.505 and Siemens U2 light rail units compete for road space. The bus dating from 1981/2 has long been retired, the last of their type operating in 2002, whilst the light rail units dating from 1980, are gradually being replaced. 

Fig 009. Brewster Transport in the Greyhound era. MCI MC-8, ex Greyhound USA, in the bus park at the Columbia Icefield. Just visible are two of several ex-school buses used for hotel/ski transfers.  

Fig 010. Ford Cutaway from the Jasper Transit fleet turns from Patricia Street onto Pyramid Lake Road operating on the Green Route. 

Fig 011. BC Transit V3116 a New Flyer Industries D40 one of 109 units built in 1991, it became 3306 in the Coast Mountain Bus Company upon its creation on 1^st April 1999. Route 404 originally operated from Ladner Exchange to Vancouver International Airport Domestic Terminal, however over the years various amendments to the route has resulted in it now running in the southern district of Richmond, connecting the Riverport Entertainment Complex and Richmond–Brighouse Station.

Fig 012. Parked on the ferry deck whilst crossing from Vancouver to Vancouver Island is Wilson’s Transportation Ltd., C262. Formally 2004 in the Pacific Coach Lines fleet, this Prevost H3-45 is fitted with high capacity seating specifically for the service. 

Fig 013. BC Transit (Victoria Regional Transit System) 4247, a VMC (Vicinity Motor Corp.) Classic V30 CNG dating from 2022, one of fifteen in the fleet. Route 10 operates between the Royal Jubilee Hospital and James Bay Village via downtown Victoria.

Fig 014. BC Transit depot (outstation), just off 2nd Avenue (Yellowhead Highway), Prince Rupert, British Columbia. 6774, OBI Orion 01.504 built in 1981, retired in 2003. 5349, GMDD T6H-5307N "New Look" built in 1973 for Prince George Tours & Transit. Transferred to the Bureau of Transit Services (later BC Transit) in 1978. Arrived in Prince Rupert 1994 and retired by 1999.

Fig 15. Whitehorse Transit, Orion Bus Industries 'Orion I'. An early model with the single swing-in front door. The bus is promoting the 2000 Artic Winter Games. Photographed at the Ogilvie Street Terminal about to depart on what in 2025 is service 101(City Central).

 Fig 16. Westours (Westours Motor Coaches, Inc.), MCI E4500 coach parked at Dredge 4, Dawson, Yukon. Dredging occurred in the Yukon between 1899 and 1966 as a very efficient means of mining for Klondike gold.

Bus and Coach World

Cotswolds and beyond, year 2.

 

Go Ahead Oxford Wright GB Kite BJ73 WXE.

Back in the Cotswolds and another dry and fine March week. A major and some minor changes: Pulham’s and Swanbrook now under Go Ahead ownership and some minor timetable changes resulting in later start to the days, as the 801 towards Cheltenham now departs Bourton-on-the-Water at 9.25am, five minutes before the travel pass kicks in. Good news for the 801 in the opposite direction, it is now extended beyond Moreton-in-Marsh to Chipping Norton, opening up new travel possibilities.

It is one of the new travel opportunities that was attractive on day 1. Departing Bourton on the 801 10.15am service and arriving into Chipping Norton at 11.05am aboard a Volvo B8RLE with MCV body. The 801 has now been re-routed to Pulham’s depot, situated on the industrial estate to the north of the town, facilitating a driver change. As on the previous visit, the timetable allows for a short layover in Stow-on-the-Wold market square. Tuesday is market day in Moreton-in-Marsh, causing severe traffic congestion in the town centre and by the time we reach the railway station we are four minutes down, but with a quick reversing manoeuvre in the station car park and no passengers to board or alight we are soon making up time. The extension to the 801 follows an almost direct route along the A44, the only diversion off is a left turn into Mosedale, a housing estate on the edge of Morton, for a 100 yards before using the turning circle and returning to the A44. The remainder of the journey is through pleasant, rolling Oxfordshire countryside before a final climb into Chipping Norton and the terminus just off the town square.

The next service departs from the opposite side of the road and is the Stagecoach service S3 Gold for Oxford departing at 11.48am and arriving into Oxford city centre at 12.48pm. The route is operated by Scania N230UD ADL Enviro400 double deckers still in Gold livery with the plush seating, although the interiors are starting to look a little tatty. We are soon back on the A44 climbing out of Chipping Norton and get far reaching views of the Oxfordshire countryside. For bus and coach interest, on the south side of Enstone village, there is a bus stop directly opposite Worth’s coach depot. Eventually, we arrive into Woodstock and pick up a large number of tourists at the bus stop nearest to Blenheim Palace. After which, it is a short diversion through the village of Yarnton, before the long slow drag into Oxford via the Woodstock Road. With just over two hours before the next bus, plenty of time to admire the influx of new electric buses, both single and double deckers being operated by Stagecoach and Go Ahead.

A stroll down to Gloucester Green coach station and time for the next bus. Departing from bay 8 at 2.50pm is Stagecoach S2 to Cheltenham via Witney, arriving into Cheltenham at 4.52pm. This time Stagecoach provide a more conventional ADL E40D MMC with slightly less comfortable seats for such a long journey. We start by retracing the inward journey along the Woodstock Road before turning onto the A40 and a very slow journey into Witney, a pleasant market town with many old buildings and a Stagecoach depot, where we wait whilst a driver change takes place and pleasantries are exchanged. The bus service leaves Witney in a southerly direction and enters the village of Curbridge before crossing the A40 to a large new housing development and then returning to the A40 on route to Burford. In Burford we pick up our last passengers, the residue of pupils from the large secondary school still loitering around an hour after the end of the school day. From here the service continues along the A40 with wonderful views from the top deck until the final diversion off into Northleach, a small quintessential Cotswolds village. Despite our bus having a clear destination blind, two people stopped the bus to ask if we were going to Cirencester. From here we return to the A40 travel through the suburbs of Cheltenham, arriving into Royal Well Bus Station on time.

 A stretch of the legs is called for, despite Pulham’s 801 service standing on the stop ready for the 5pm departure. This is an additional departure since Go Ahead acquired the business. We, however, will return to the bus station for the 5.30pm departure. A Mercedes Benz Citaro stands ready for our final ride of the day. Getting out of Cheltenham in the rush hour is a slow process, especially around the hospital and by the time we get onto the A40, retracing our route from the previous journey as far as Andoversford, we are already 12 minutes down. The run through Andoversford is quite lengthy, taking the old Gloucester Road before using a narrow lane to join the A436 and eventually rejoining the A40 heading back towards Cheltenham, then turning right for the final dose of scenery high in the Cotswold hills and dropping down into Bourton. Arriving at the same bus stop 8 hour 9 minutes after we departed.

After yesterday’s exertion, day two is more leisurely, starting at 10.25am in Bourton aboard Pulham’s 801 to Cheltenham. A beautiful clear morning to enjoy the view again, progress is swift, stopping to allow one passenger to alight at the Notgrove turning, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. No new passenger board until we reach the outskirts of Cheltenham, we finally alight at the General Hospital to enjoy a stroll in the park and a cup of coffee. It is a short walk from there to stop 9 on Clarence Street for Stagecoach service 41A to Tewkesbury. It is a slow crawl out of Cheltenham and we pass the previous 41, the driver exchanging details with a car driver, both examining the rear of the bus as they do so. As a consequence of the accident, we pick up several passengers, happy to take our driver’s advice about reaching their destination. We make good time once on the A38 dual-carriageway before turning off and visiting two new housing developments to the south-east of Tewkesbury. From there, it is a short journey into the town centre. The town sits at the confluence of the Avon and Severn rivers and has a beautiful Abbey built by the Normans. Plenty of time to take all this in and enjoy a good lunch before boarding the four times a day 351 Stagecoach service to Gloucester. This is the indirect service taking 62 minutes rather than the 30 minutes on the direct service. Departing at 2.35pm, this is the last service of the day, using many of the narrow lanes between the A38 and A471 the service takes in several of the small villages always with the backdrop of the Malvern Hills. Many of the lanes are single track and the mums on the school run seem content to reverse, obviously this is a daily occurrence. In the village of Staunton it is the turn of the bus to reverse, having entered a small housing estate and travelled a few hundred yards the bus reverses into a close which has its own bus shelter, and we return in the same direction back onto the main road for a short fast run until the next turn off by the BP petrol station. The village of Ashleworth is the next stop before yet another return to the A471 at Hartpury where three passengers board. The bus is now approaching Gloucester city centre, but not before one final turn off. This time into what appears to be the B&Q car park, it is however the entrance to a large retirement village and after driving though the car park to the main entrance, we execute the second reverse of the journey, returning through the car park and back onto the main road for one final time. From there it is a short journey through school traffic to the bus station. Just two bus journeys remain, the first is a take your pick, a 94 or X94 from Stagecoach or the 99 from Pulham’s. The first to arrive is a Gold livery decker on the X94 and we are soon away to Cheltenham, via the impressive GCHQ buildings. The final bus of the day is a surprise, an Optare Solo on Pulham’s 801 5pm departure, for another slow crawl through Cheltenham, just like yesterday.

Stagecoach YT21 DVO in Cheltenham.

For the third and final day we are back at the bus stop in Bourton for the 10.20am 801 towards Chipping Norton, this time alighting in Moreton-in-the-Marsh. The 801 is due to arrive at Morton Station at 10.45am, exactly the same time as the Stagecoach 2A to Stratford-upon-Avon is due to depart from the station. To gain a minute we jump off at Moreton Corn Exchange and dodge the traffic to cross the road to the opposite bus shelter ready for the 2A. This is an irregular service which along with the 2 serves many of the villages in this part of the north Cotswolds. The largest residential area is   Chipping Campden, a pretty town which provides the last two passengers before the large  new development of Meon Vale just south of Stratford where the final passenger of the journey boards. We arrive into Stratford on time at 11.52am. Attempting to leave the bus takes some effort, the bus stop being directly outside McDonalds where the world and his wife are queuing for lunch. Having an hour before our next bus we set off for a more tranquil spot. 12.58pm and back at the bus stop, this time without the crowds and we are waiting for the Stagecoach service 28 to Evesham which arrives six minutes late. A rather tattie AD E40D caters for a good loading, the local college having just turned out and we set off ten minutes late for the 1hr 7mins journey to Evesham. After the Cotswolds, the scenery is rather bland, consisting of flat farmland and small unremarkable villages. We alight at the rather grandly described Evesham Bus Station, which consist of two bus shelters in a layby and a number of the local undesirables occupying the seats whilst enjoying their tins of alcohol and smoking some unusual looking roll-ups. At 2.18pm a plain white Wrightbus Streetlite DF, with the driver enjoying a picnic spread out over the steering wheel, is waiting for our next departure: the 540 to  Tewkesbury. This being a service operated by Rotala Diamond there is a degree of scepticism as to whether it would run, as the company is not renowned for reliability or professionalism and our fears are justified when an attempt is made to start the bus. The click, click of the starter motor followed by some frantic pushing of the gear selector buttons doesn’t bode well. Eventually the bus is coaxed into life and with just three passengers on board we set off. As if to emphasize our concerns, the first bus we pass coming in the opposite direction is sitting forlornly at the side of the road, passengers looking into middle distance, with the driver standing on the pavement with his mobile phone in hand. Our bus takes an indirect route through several villages all with a backdrop of the Bredon Hills and we lose our other passenger in Ashton under Hill, leaving just the two of us to continue into Tewkesbury. The uncertain element of the day out of the way, it is time to relax, better still time for a cup of tea. The next bus can be any Stagecoach service heading for Cheltenham, which turns out to be a 41. From there, it is, for the final time, Pulham’s 801 back to Bourton.

For the second year in a row Bourton-on-the-Water has proved a great location for a bus trip short break and the Cotswolds were as beautiful as ever.

Pulham's GG73 BUS Volvo B7RLE with MCV body in Cheltenham.

ROTALA Diamond Bus Wright Streetlite DF in Evesham.

 Bus and Coach World

Malta 2024 – Bring a cushion.

 

BUS 111, King Long XMQ6127J entering Marsaskala seafront at high tide.

A third visit to this wonderful island and a third operator in charge of the public transport network. During the first visit the buses were operated by independents and their eclectic mix of vehicles; Arriva were in charge during the second visit and this year it was ALSA, using the Malta Public Transport (MPT) brand. The 430 buses are now a modern mix of King Long (diesel and electric) and Otokar, with Mercedes Benz making up the majority of the rest.

Pre-planning a trip is easy using the MPT website, and purchasing a travel card from the airport information desk could not be simpler. For €25 you get seven days unlimited travel on the network in Malta and Gozo, a single trip cost €2.50. Unfortunately, what you do not get is a comfortable seat as the buses are fitted with Kiel seats covered in moquette without any padding, hence the title of this article.

Stepping outside the airport terminal, the bus stops are directly in front of you. We were staying in Valletta, so required the X4 which operates every 30 minutes to the central bus station, although in reality you alight on Vjal Lr-Re Dwardu VII, just in front of the Triton Fountain.

Valletta Bus Station is a modern L shaped open-air concourse with the majority of local routes departing from the ‘A’ bays nearest to the Triton Fountain, whilst longer routes depart from ‘B’ bays, around the corner from the main concourse. Day 2 and the first bus of the day departed from bay A2, the 10.10am No.1 to Isla with a journey time of 23 minutes. Isla (Senglea) with an area of just over half a square mile is the most densely populated locality in Europe. The bus terminates in the heart of the town by reversing into a two-bus bay in the town square. After an extensive walk around the undulating streets, the next journey was to be on the 12.56pm departure of route 124 from Isla to Marsaskala. However, the bus failed to arrive and some quick thinking was required to find an alternative way between the two towns. The next departure was service 1 to Valletta and the solution was to take this bus until it reached the main road and then change onto service 91 coming from Valletta and terminating in Marsaskala, which runs every 12 minutes. Service 91 enters Marsaskala along the sea front, passing the bus terminus and doing a loop around the headland before returning to the bus terminus. Once a Roman port, Marsaskala is home to around 12,000 inhabitants and a pleasant place to while away a couple of hours. Service 91 would provide us with a final journey of the day back to Valletta, departing Marsaskala through the narrow back streets before entering an area of open countryside and returning to the densely populated villages of Fgura and Paola. 

Day 3 is another warm sunny October day and this morning’s departure is 9.50am on route 74 from bay A5 in the bus station, alighting in Zurrieq. Not the prettiest of routes as it skirts the industrial warehouses around the perimeter of the airport before serving the villages of Mqabba and Qrendi. The majority of passengers alight at the Ħaġar Qim Park Visitor Centre just before the bus turns onto the coast road and the remainder of the passengers alight to walk down the hill and visit the Blue Grotto. We opt to remain on board and continue to Zurrieq in the hope of getting a seat on the next bus which is coming from the airport. Zurrieq town square with its public toilets and cafe claims to have a bus station, in reality it is a bus stop used by seven routes. This morning, the first bus to arrive is a Mercedes Benz Citaro driver trainer, departing just ahead of our bus which is the 10.54am service 201. The 201 is a scenic route along the south west coast road, retracing our previous route 74 as far as the turning for the Blue Grotto. This time turning off the coast road and travelling downhill to the village of Wied Iż-Żurrieq, passing several passengers who alighted from the 74 thirty minutes earlier. Thirty-four years ago at this point the driver stood up, touched the effigy of the Virgin Mary, made the sign-of-the-cross, sat back down, released the handbrake and coasted down the hill on a road more rustic than it is today. The remainder of the journey has far reaching sea and coastal views followed by historic towns and villages before climbing to the hill top city of Rabat and the fortified citadel of Mdina 47 minutes later. The evening return to Valletta is a case of standing at the central bus stop in Rabat and boarding the first bus that comes along, having a choice of six routes. However, on this evening there are wide gaps in the services, and by the time a bus arrives it becomes a scrum to board. Not for the first time we will learn that in Malta there is no such thing as a full bus.

ALSA, Malta Public Transport BUS 650, Otokar Vectio C (9.6-metre). Sitting at the Isla terminus.

Day 4 and the longest day. Service 41 departs from bay B6 at 9.30am heading for Cirkewwa, the departure point for the Gozo ferry. A journey time of 1hr 53mins with much of the first half through urban sprawl between Valletta and Mosta, before hitting open countryside on route to St. Paul’s Bay and the coast, climbing to Mellieħa before descending to Cirkewwa. The next challenge is running the gauntlet of sightseeing ticket touts that stand between the bus and ferry ticket office, with just enough time to purchase a €4.65 return ticket to Gozo. Once on-board, time for tea and buns before arrival at Gozo and facing the next line of sightseeing touts and scrum for the service bus. From this point the day is flexible, getting on the first bus that comes along. A surprise to find a new Foton electric bus, operating the short park & ride service to the top of the hill, is sitting at the bus stop. First normal service bus to arrive on the stop was operating route 323 to the capital Victoria via several small villages either side of the main road. Victoria (Rabat) is the capital of Gozo: it is known for the medieval Citadel and has a bus station in the town centre. After lunch and a good walk, by late afternoon we are back at the bus station in time to board service 310 for the eleven-minute journey to the seaside resort of Marsalforn. We remain onboard whilst the bus makes a one-way loop around the town and alight at a central bus stop, just a few yards from the seafront. This is a ‘bucket & spade’ resort with a pleasant promenade filled with bars and cafes. The final journey on Gozo is service 322 back to the ferry and it is a real surprise. This is the most scenic bus route on Gozo/Malta, climbing through open countryside visiting the villages of Xagħra and Nadur before descending into the ferry port. Once back on Malta it was another case of first bus to come along heading in the direction of Valletta or Sliema, and it turned out to be the 41. The twilight ride gave the opportunity to see how the urban areas transform after dark.

Final full day and a short 23-minute journey on service 2 from stand A2 in the Valletta bus station to Birgu. The route was scheduled to terminate in the town square, however after serving the waterfront we returned to the main road and headed up hill to the coach park outside the Inquisitors’ Palace. No word from the driver, but as the engine was turned off we assumed this was the end of the route. A short walk down into town explained all, the square was under reconstruction with no vehicular access. Birgu, population 2633, is an ancient maritime city known as ‘Citta Vittoriosa’ and is packed with history, artistic and architectural interest as well as moorings for large super yachts. Late in the day, we rejoined service 2 on the waterfront, heading for a ten-minute layover in the coach park before returning to Valletta. 

It’s the final day and after spending the morning mooching around Valletta, as the rain set in, we head for one final time to the bus station and stand B3 for the X4 back to the airport. 

Malta is a wonderful out of season destination, with mild sunny days and easy to navigate by bus. At €25 the seven-day bus ticket is great value, provided you don’t mind a numb bum.

BUS 294, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter 516CDi about to depart the bus station on service 133 Valletta Circular.

BUS 216, King Long Amigo Electric departs Valletta Bus Station.

BUS 892, arrives into Zurrieq on service 201 to Rabat.

GVN 834, Foton C10 EV operating the Mġarr (Gozo) park & ride service.

Victoria (Gozo) bus station.

Bus and Coach World