Omnibus 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.