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

Azerbaijan & Nakhchivan

BakuBus MMC 15599 (99·JU·284). BMC Procity 12 CNG, new in 2019. One of 510 in service with the operator. Operating service 125 from 28 May metro station to the southern suburb of Lokbatan, a distance of 21km with a 10-minute headway. Photographed on Neftchilar Avenue heading out of the city.

The Republic of Azerbaijan sits on the borders of Europe and Asia with a coastline on the Caspian Sea; land borders with the Republic of Dagestan, Iran, Georgia and Armenia; has the enclave of Nakhchivan. With a population of 10.2 million the capital is Baku, main language is Turkic and the currency is the manat (1 manat = 47p). This former part of the Soviet Union is now a ‘democratically elected one party state’, rich in gas and oil reserves.

The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is a land locked nation situated in the southwest end of the Lesser Caucasus and covers an area of 5,500 KM² with a population of 444,400. It has a 246km long border with Armenia; 204km with Iran and 11km with Turkey. Since the second Nagorno-Karabakh war of 2020 and the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive, the Republic is only accessible to foreigners by air. Biblically, Nakhchivan is said to be the resting place of the Prophet Noah and that the cleft peak of Mount Ilandag was carved out by Noah's Ark. The Republic is also considered one of the least polluted countries in the world, with no major industries and vast areas given over to mountains and national parks.

The capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, has a population of 2.62 million. The terrain is hilly, levelling out on the seafront with a 14km long promenade. The streets are often narrow, and the architecture is a mix of ancient, Soviet and spectacular modern. Public transport includes a two-line metro system, 70 city bus routes, 124 suburban routes, 6 minibus routes in the city and 17 in the suburbs; carries 350,000 passengers daily and is overseen by Baku Transport Agency (BTA). Tickets are purchased using the ‘BakkaKART’, a pre-loaded smart card. The municipal operator is BakuBus MMC with two bus garages, each has a capacity of 300 buses. Two large independents, Cinar Trans LLC and Khaliq Faiqoglu (part of the SAFA Holding group of companies) plus 41 small operators contribute about 2,168 buses to the network, with the minibuses, normally white, accepting only cash (0.30 manat in the city), payable before alighting. Passenger loadings are always heavy with services suffering from day long traffic congestion, and most routes continue to midnight and beyond. 

BakuBus MMC 67197 (77·JA·829) heads a line-up of four out of a total of 205 currently operational BMC Neocity 9M CNGs, new in 2022. The buses are lined-up at the Nizami Ganjavi Park terminus of route 10. Route 10 is a convoluted route east/west through the city centre, the western terminus being at the Zefir Shopping Mall. 

 

Baku’s public transport has seen huge investment and between 2015 and 2020, 603 medium and large-capacity buses were purchased, these included 300 buses bought in 2019. In 2020 115 Turkish built BMC buses were ordered, 80 were 12-meter long and 35 9-meter-long BMC Neocity. As a result of the Clean Bus Declaration (BUS2025), one BYD 12-meter electric bus was purchased in 2023. A second electric bus from China's ZhongTong Bus was purchased in 2024. Recently the Economy Ministry has signed an agreement with BYD to assemble vehicles locally. Major purchases have also been made by the two large independents, Cinar Trans LLC has invested in 150 new vehicles since 2017 and Khaliq Faiqoglu, who operate 300 buses (the blue buses in Baku) have received Otokar or Isuzu types for their city routes 18, 52, 61, 65, 79, 85, 96, 135 and 199.

         

BakuBus MMC 15406 (99·JB·291). BMC Procity 18 CNG, new in February 2020 and one of 20 in service. Photographed passing the architecturally amazing Heydar Aliyev Centre on route 13 towards the large park & ride/interchange site Mezhdunarodnyy avtovokzal.

Ganja is Azerbaijan’s second largest city (population 335,600) and owes much of its history to being on the original silk road. The city saw bombing by Armenian forces during the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Between 1955 and 2004 the city had an extensive trolleybus network. Today most routes are operated by mini and midibuses of various ages and from several manufacturers. Information on the network is limited, although ten routes were observed.

20·EY·910 Karsan ATAK operated by Azər Avtonəqliyyat in Ganja. The vehicle was new to Baku in 2018 and came to Ganja in October 2023. Photographed passing the Ganja branch of National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan on Shah Ismayil Khetayi Avenue.

Sheki is a small city on the slopes of the Greater Caucasus Mountains (population 68,460). There are 16 bus routes operated by minibuses (Marshrutkas) primarily of Mercedes Benz manufacture, the vast majority Mercedes 208D’s with the occasional 507D. Despite their age, these vehicles manage the hilly terrain with gusto: routes 11 and 17 climb to The Palace of the Sheki Khans situated at 800m above sea level, fully laden with passengers, showing little sign of their age. 

55·BJ·0882, PAZ-3205 operating route 22 in Sheki. Route 22 operates between the Olympic complex, bus terminal, hospital, theatre, old bazaar, caravansary, The Palace of the Sheki Khans, and children's hospital. The route climbs to over 800m on a steep incline. The bus is returning to the city centre passing the caravansary. 

Nakhchivan City (population 94,500) is the administrative centre for the Autonomous Republic. A small walkable city with wide boulevards, a result of Soviet planning, that provide a one-way system for the bus network. Until 2004 there was a trolleybus system consisting of three routes. Today the city buses are mostly Isuzu and King Long midibuses whilst suburban buses are fleets of Mercedes 208D/408D’s. The main bus station is in the north of the city at the junction of Dilgam Pishavari Road and the M7, whilst the out-of-town minibuses congregate around the central market in the south of the city. 

O·014·MR a MAZ 206 in Nakhchivan city. The only one of this type seen during the visit.

Ordubad is the second largest city in Nakhchivan, built on a hillside close to the Iranian border and is a mixture of modern and medieval architecture. The local bus service travels up Emin Sadliq Road, with the primary objective to get residents up the steep hill from the bottom of town using Mercedes 208D/408D’s.

75·BA·039, a KAvZ 3270. KAvZ is a subsidiary of the GAZ Group. Photographed in Ordubad, Nakhchivan, now acting as a motorhome.

Throughout the visit it was difficult to identify coach operators as most vehicles carried no signwriting. They were however quite modern vehicles. The current favoured large vehicle type is the Neoplan Cityliner, whilst slightly older vehicles mainly consist of Mercedes Benz Travelgo’s. New midi-coaches are TEMSA and all smaller coaches Mercedes Benz Sprinters.

99·JB·060, 99·JB·010, two of the numerous Neoplan Cityliners seen throughout Azerbaijan. These are parked at Heydar Aliyev Centre.

Azerbaijan is investing heavily in transport infrastructure. The recent agreement between the country and its neighbour Armenia to open a transit corridor between the two parts of Azerbaijan will see both road and rail links established. The investment in buses seen in Baku might spread to the hinterland. For now  Azerbaijan remains a hidden treasure.

Faiqoğlu 1044 (99·JM·354), Anadolu Isuzu Citiport 12, new in 2016 and one of 55 in service. The bus is arriving at the Yaşıl Bazar terminus on Khatai Avenue, Baku.

GAZ-3221, 55·BE·099 heading up hill on route 11 - new bazaar; bus terminal; old bazaar; caravansary; The Palace of the Sheki Khans; children's hospital; Olympic complex. Despite its age and heavy passenger loading, the vehicle makes the climb to over 800m with aplomb.   

75·AF·186, a PAZ-672 looking smart for its age, in the car park of the Dusdagh Salt Mines’ Hospital, Nakhchivan. The PAZ 672 was produced between 1968 and 1989.

77·CF·108 has a Sunsundegui Sideral body possibly on an Iveco chassis. Parked at the Qobustan State Reserve on a school trip.

                                                                                            Bus and Coach World

Malta 2014

Malta ~ A return ticket.

 

Much has been written in recent months about the public transport turmoil on the island of Malta. Would it be better or worse than twenty-six years ago? All those years ago the 'iconic' grey and red buses provided a haphazard, erratic service, timetables indicating the existence of a service rather than a schedule. To put the operating environment in context, Malta is an island smaller than the Isle of Wight with a population of approximately 413,000 of which 30,000 live on Gozo and it derives 35% of its GDP from tourism.

 Valletta Bus Station on first visit.

Stepping out of Luqa airport the initial signs were not good. The airport is served by seven routes, six are a series of X routes connecting the airport to major destinations throughout the island and the seventh, 201 is a minibus route to Rabat (Mdina) via the Blue Grotto. With the exception of X1 all services were operated under contract to Malta Public Transport by many of the island independents with an assortment of minibuses, buses and coaches in a multitude of liveries and showing signs of many years in service. More impressive was the infrastructure, the grumpy assistant behind the former Arriva information desk issued a euro 6.50 weekly travel card (since the demise of Arriva this ticket no longer covers Gozo which requires the purchase of a euro 1.50 day rider). Outside all the bus stop flags had route numbers with final destinations clearly shown and timetables for all routes.

 

Once away from the airport the situation is much improved. The majority of vehicles are in Arriva livery and staff are in smart Malta Public Transport uniforms. Public information is clear and concise in a format familiar to UK travellers, being produced by FWT. A full colour A4 route map of both islands is freely available, but timetable booklets are not produced, although information is readily available on the internet before arrival and by SMS once on the island, neither of which is necessary as all bus stops on the islands have timetables, route numbers and final destination on the flag. Valletta bus station has an information kiosk with route maps and stand departures information adorning the exterior walls, Sliema ferries interchange has a simalar Kiosk and Gozo has a new four bay bus station. On street ticket machine are located at various locations, although they never seem to be used, this could be because of the difficulty in reading the screens in bright sunlight, most passengers elect to pay the driver.

 

An Arriva King Long in Valletta bus station.

Routes from Valletta and Victoria(Rabat) Gozo are planned on a hub and spoke system with groupings of route numbers following major arterial roads, e.g. 51,52, 53 Valletta - Rabat(Mdina), and then splitting off to suburbs or rural villages, often in one way loops, reminiscent of First Bus in this country, 51 to Imtarfa, 52 Dingli, 53 Rabat suburbs. Each service is on a thirty-minute headway providing a ten-minute interval along the main corridor. Services operate from early morning until late night Monday to Saturday with a slight reduction on some routes on Sundays. Night routes operate between Valletta and Sliema, and Marsaxlokk receives a Sunday only X85 service to cover heavy tourist loadings leaving the 85 with capacity for the locals. Timetables are adhered to and schedules allow for sedate progress on the route. Driving standards have greatly improved, passengers no longer cross themselves when boarding and buses no longer carry an image of the virgin Mary.

 

Before discussing the buses and making any conclusions on their condition, it is worthwhile briefly looking at the condition of Maltese roads. They fall into three standards; short lengths of modern highway with smooth tarmac, generally paid for by the EU; urban streets with some rough lengths, not dissimilar from the worst roads in Britain, and finally rural roads, best described as potholes occasionally connected with tarmac. The majority of vehicles operated by Malta Public Transport are King Longs, either 9-meter XMQ6900J or 12-meter XMQ6127J. Although these represent the current offering from King Long, and are all low floor, they do not match standards normally associated with most European manufactures. Rough engines and mis-matched gearboxes give a ride reminiscent of an AEC Swift or Bristol RE. The exterior bodywork on the first deliveries is showing signs of quite severe rusting, whilst the interiors look worn and in need of refurbishment on all the fleet, and the much heralded air conditioning has given up with windows and roof vents being open. Would any European manufactured vehicles stand the rigors of such intensive utilisation and high passenger numbers? Passenger loadings are on a level we would associate with London or Hong Kong and vehicles operate for eighteen plus hours a day. One redeeming feature is the telematics. Large continually scrolling screens are fitted on all vehicles and display bi-lingual route direction and next stop information in Malti and English, although the volume of the associated audio announcements is set to low to be audible. The King Long fleet is supplemented on Gozo by an Optare Solo Hybrid and on Malta by a small number of BMC Falcons, Optare Solo Hybrids, Saracakis bodied Volvo B7RLE and Scarnif bodied MANs.

 

Independent operator in Valletta bus station.

In a desperate move to cover the withdraw of ex London Mercedes-Benz artics, Malta Public Transport contracted former independents to cover several routes and provide peek hour additions to other routes. Routes covered in their entirety by independents are X2; X3; X4; X5 and X7, all providing cross island services focused on the airport. Vehicles used are a mix of full size buses and coaches, including former Reading Transport YN56 FBF, Scania Omnicity still in Vodafone red and with full Reading legal lettering, now operated by Peppin Transport. Some of these vehicles carry ticket machines provided by the transport authority, although no attempt is made to collect revenue or check tickets. Three minibus routes are also covered, the 201 Airport - Blue Grotto - Rabat(Mdina) and the combined 101/102 Ghajn - Mellieha - Cirkewwa, all services are hourly. None of the vehicles carry a ticket machine, and again no attempt is made to collect revenue or check tickets, and the timetable has a more liberal interpretation. The 201 is proving problematic as the Blue Grotto is a major tourist attraction and only nineteen seats per hour are provided in each direction with no standing allowed, although we did manage twenty-four seated passengers on one occasion. Passengers between terminus points are left standing at stops with no alternative, and this was out-of-season.

 

In April 2014 the Maltese government issued an update statement. It confirms a leasing agreement for forty-three new air-conditioned buses. There has been three expressions of interest in taking over the operating franchise, two from local Maltese companies and one from the Spanish subsidiary of National Express. UK operators McGills and National Express have already dismissed any involvement, citing lack of transparency on the part of the Maltese government. The Government also reported a further 7% drop in revenue between January and March 2014.

 

Optare Solo in Gozo.

So is the situation any better than twenty six years ago? The answer is a most definitely yes. Whilst many may bemoan the loss of the iconic Maltese bus, like the Routemaster in London, they had no place in a modern, intense transport operation. Some areas still need addressing; driver communication skills with passengers are sadly lacking; revenue enforcement; vehicle maintenance, occasional roadside breakdowns were noted and the aroma of hot oil and diesel not uncommon; Valletta bus station requires the finishing touches, removal of the portacabins and inclusion of stands 16 and 17 into the main concourse, three of the fifteen stands have already been demolished by drivers overshooting the stop ramps and need repairing, finally, Cirkewwa terminus needs the finishing touches, currently being devoid of marked bays despite being the third busiest interchange. The management of Malta Public Transport are doing a sterling job in the face of intense political interference. The island now has a recognisable modern network with reliable timetables and buses, driven by professional well trained staff. Arriva should be proud of its legacy, just don't mention the artics. 

Bus and Coach World