Arriva is this month giving residents purchasing one-day carnet tickets, another one free of charge, the company said.

It said in a statement this was part of its Buy 1 Get 1 Free and the offer, for anyone with a resident ID card, was valid until stocks last.

"Arriva's Buy 1 Get 1 Free offer is one way in which we want to thank our customers for using our services, while encouraging others who might not have had the chance to travel with us to purchase a Carnet ticket and board a bus.

"Indeed, this offer also ties into Arriva's efforts to encourage more people to leave their cars at home and use public transport, thus avoiding the stress and hassle of driving, traffic congestions and looking for parking. Travelling by bus allows you to travel in comfort, without stress and in safety, and you would also be safeguarding our precious environment from pollution," an Arriva spokesman said.

Arriva's carnet tickets can be bought from Arriva's ticket booths in Valletta, Buġibba and Malta International Airport, Agenda bookstores, Lotto booths, Till Late convenience stores, and authorised outlets.

The company said that in the coming weeks, it will be announcing incentives on carnet tickets for non-residents.