Route buses report 12.5 per cent rise in commuters

Route buses carried 12.5 per cent more passengers in January and February over the same eight-week period last year, as the number of public transport users increased by more than 460,000 to 4.1 million.

Figures released by the Public Transport Directorate show that the biggest rise was registered on the Birzebbuga, Zejtun and Gudja routes, with an 18.3 per cent increase over the first eight weeks of last year.

With an increase of 43,088 passengers using buses bound for Mellieha and Cirkewwa, the two routes registered a 17.7 per cent increase.

The Cottonera routes posted a 15.5 per cent increase, or 38,257 more passengers.

Commuters using direct buses to the University went up by 14.5 per cent, totalling 57,882 in the first two months of the year. Buses going to Sliema, St Paul's Bay and Naxxar registered an increase of almost 12 per cent - with the Sliema route handling more than one million passengers.

Buses to Rabat had a 10 per cent increase while the number of passengers on direct routes to a number of tourist areas - including Cirkewwa to Sliema, Rabat to Bugibba and Marsaxlokk to Bugibba -increased by 8.2 per cent.

Decreases - sometimes marginal - were registered in 21 of the 89 bus routes.

A spokesman for the Roads Ministry attributed the increase to improvements in the public transport infrastructure and the routes.

He said the government was committed to improving the public transport service. This will be done through the upgrading of the Valletta terminus - which is being proposed for EU funding - and building a new hub in Tal-Qroqq.