Updated: Adds fares in Gozo

The average daily cost for pensioners, students and daily bus commuters will remain unchanged even as the service is reformed and improved, Transport Minister Austin Gatt said today.

There will be different categories of fares: two-hour tickets, day tickets, day tickets purchased before 8 a.m., seven-day tickets, 30-day and 90-day tickets.

The fares for frequent travellers who buy tickets valid for for three months will on average go down by 2c per day than the present. Frequent travellers purchasing one-month tickets will see an increase of four cents a day.

Pensioners will see a reduction of seven cents per day if they are frequent travellers while student frequent travellers will see a reduction of 3c a day on three-month tickets and no change on a one month ticket.

OCCASIONAL TRAVELLERS

Occasional travellers will see an increase of 34c for a day ticket while those who buy their day ticket before 8 a.m. will see an increase of 2c per day.

The day tickets can be used for different trips on the same day.

Children under three will travel free. Children aged between 3 and 10 will have the same reduced rate as pensioners while children of between 11 and 16 will pay the same rate as students.

Two-hour tickets for the occasional adult travellers will cost €1.30. Day tickets for adult travellers will cost €2.10 adult and student and the day ticket bought before 8 a.m. will cost €1.40 for adults.

The seven day ticket will cost €14 for adults and € 9.80 for pensioners and children.

The 30-day fare will be €30 for adults, €21 for students and €30 for pensioners and children.

The 90-day ticket will cost €85 for adults and €60 for children.

Dr Gatt said these prices were the cheapest in Europe and tourists here for a week would be able to go around Malta on the buses for just €14.

The government’s aim, he said, was to substantially improve the bus service and raise patronage while eliminating the state subsidy.

The buses carried 32 million passengers in 2008. It is calculated that an increase of 30% in passenger numbers will yield profitability for the new operator.

The government will assist the new operator in the first year if patronage drops below the 2008 level, which is unlikely.

GOZO BUS FARES

With regard to Gozo, a two-hour ticket will cost 65c for adults and students and 20c for children and pensioners.

Day tickets will cost €1.10 for adults and students and 30c for children and pensioners. If purchased before 8 a.m., day tickets will cost 70c for adults and students and 30c for children and pensioners. A seven-day pass will cost €7 for adults and students and €4.90 for children and pensioner.

A 30-day ticket will cost €18 for adults, children and pensioners and €12 for students while a three-month pass will cost €42.50 for adults, children and pensioners and €30 for students.

See full details on pdf below: