Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542822
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 JANUARY 2026 THIS IS A PAID COLLABORATION New park and ride services and ferry routes reshape Malta's transport landscape THE year 2025 was an exceptional year where several measures have been developed to instil new practices and behaviour within our transport sys- tem. Now we are looking forward to see their fruition. The ultimate goal of the public service is to ensure that our communities are served well and that public transport services meet day to day travel needs. We acknowledge that it is not an easy task to introduce changes to our behavioural patterns, but we shall aim to continue working to enhance synergies between differ- ent transport services and ensure suc- cessful implementation. The Ministry for Transport, Infrastruc- ture and Public Works has recently completed several projects, namely the addition of new park and ride ser- vices and fast ferry routes. As of 2026, the public is able to access two new fully operational Park and Rides; one accessible from the parking next to the Addolorata cemetery and another one in Ta' Qali. With the introduction of these services, we hope to offer a bet- ter 'last mile' connection for commut- ers accessing city centres by directly reducing congestion and improving parking availabilities in urban centres. Both sites operate a direct ½ hourly service to University and Mater Dei Hospital. The Addolorata site offers a further service to Paola/Tarxien, al- so operating on a half hour frequen- cy. Service on these routes starts at 06:30hrs with the last trip operating at 21:30hrs. The Ta' Qali site, besides the Mater Dei Hospital/ University route, operates two other direct half hourly services to Rabat and the oth- er to Mosta. Similar to the Mater Dei/ University routes, operational times of these routes is between 06:30hrs and 21:30hrs. Further details can be ob- tained by following the below links: https://www.publictransport.com. mt/route/401/ https://www.publictransport.com. mt/route/402/ https://www.publictransport.com. mt/route/403/ https://www.publictransport.com. mt/route/404/ https://www.publictransport.com. mt/route/405/ A number of industrial estates includ- ing Hal Far, Marsa, San Gwann and Hal Farrug have seen an increase in the frequency of bus routes to enhance accessibility of workers working in the area. Further information on these routes can be accessed via https:// www.publictransport.com.mt/routes- timetables-search-page/. As part of our wider plan to improve connectivity between the Maltese Islands, this year we will see the in- troduction of a new fast ferry route starting from Sliema to Buġibba and finishing in Gozo. Last year, the fast ferry service between Valletta and Gozo saw a record number of 1.2 mil- lion passengers making the journey. This number shows that we have an ideal springboard to continue comple- menting the fast ferry's success with the introduction of new routes. With the new ferry points, Gozo will see its connections to Malta double. Works are also currently undergoing to intro- duce a new ferry landing in Marsasca- la. This step will play a critical role; it will directly connect the South to the North of Malta and Gozo, ensuring connectivity and accessibility for all passengers.