Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1540090
12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 OCTOBER 2025 NEWS Bus usage hit a record 7.5 Public transport struggles to keep up as crowded buses become the norm on routes used by both commuters and tourists. Passenger trips have surged 35% since 2019, while the number of buses has risen by just 9% IN August, during the peak tourist sea- son, public bus trips hit a record high of 7,485,230. This is up from 6,783,357 in August 2024 and 5,564,932 in 201. This represents a significant increase of 10.5% from 2024, and a staggering 34.7% increase since August 2019. In the meantime, the number of bus- es has increased from 465 in December 2020 to 508 in December 2024, an in- crease of 9.2%. Official statistics provided to MaltaTo- day by the Transport Ministry show the number of buses had decreased from 465 in December 2020 to 415 in 2021 during the pandemic, rising back to 458 by De- cember 2023. This means buses have significantly in- creased by nearly 11% between the end of 2023 and 2024 but only by 9% since 2019. Some buses that were added or are be- ing added in 2025 are not yet included in the official figures. Packed like sardines Over the past few months, MaltaToday has received reports of intense cramming on routes between major urban areas fre- quented by both tourists and workers, as has been the case in recent years. One major hotspot is the Kullegg bus stop in Msida, which has evolved into a kind of informal terminus where users coming from large towns like Birkirkara stop to catch a bus to Sliema or St Ju- lian's. or vice-versa "One very rarely is left behind and if a bus is full, another one usually comes within a few minutes. But more often than not passengers are crammed like sardines. It is not a pleasant experience," a regular bus user reported. Moreover, some users have reported drivers constantly telling passengers to move back to make space for incoming passengers. But faced with passengers who stub- bornly refused to budge, some drivers resort to telling passengers to enter from the exit door in the middle of the bus after swiping their Tallinja card at the front. "This often leads to passengers entering from the middle of the bus only to find no space to move… also because some passengers choose to stay precariously close to the exit door, sometimes making it difficult for others to exit," another us- er told MaltaToday. This was confirmed by the author's personal experience as a regular bus user. Other passengers report scenes of anar- chy at major bus stops where people lit- erally shove their way to board first. "It is impossible to queue at such stops. People try to position themselves as close as possible to where the bus halts. At times things can get ugly as people shove each other." Another problem reported by elderly passengers was that priority seats are of- ten taken up by younger commuters. "Once I showed my kartanzjan to the teenagers sitting on the priority seat and they still did not budge. In contrast, there are often passengers seated on regular seats, especially Indians, who willingly give up their seats out of respect." The over-crowding problem was also recently denounced by left-wing think tank Zminijietna-Voice of the Left. "As things stand, many are facing dif- ficulties to board public transport safely during peak hours. The vulnerable peo- ple are the ones, facing the burden from overcrowding". The think tank called for a greater pres- ence of Inspectors "to conduct controls with regards to overcrowding". They also called for voice announce- ments on busesto "give guidance to com- muters on how to make use of public transport the right and safe way". But passengers from less touristic localities report fewer problems with overcrowd- ing. "The service is generally reliable, albeit not so frequent. The major hiccup is when occasionally a bus simply fails to materialise, and that means that if you have an appointment, you have no choice but to get a cab." All photos by James Bianchi/MaltaToday JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Year Passenger trips 2019 5,564,932 2020 3,093,283 2021 3,504,365 2022 4,528,871 2023 6,122,719 2024 6,783,357 2025 7,485,230 Month Fleet Dec-20 465 Dec-21 415 Dec-22 428 Dec-23 458 Dec-24 508