The new public transport provider Autobuses de León will take over on January 8... but commuters will see absolutely no difference in the system and service provided, according to Transport Minister Joe Mizzi.

“Everything is going to be exactly the same as it is now. It’s a soft entry. From then onwards, there will be a programme in place which will gradually roll out the IT and ticketing infrastructure. The orders have already been made,” he said.

“What one can expect to see in January are hired buses. They won’t be brand new but they will help kick off operations until the new buses come along.”

The company will eventually introduce an additional 142 new buses to the island. New routes will be introduced once the fleet is complete. Mr Mizzi said he expected to see the new routes in place during the first six months.

Buses will sport a light green and white livery when the Spanish operator takes over next week.

However, according to the government’s agreement with Arriva, all buses had to be sprayed white, regardless of who was going to take over.

“We were tied with an agreement to remove Arriva’s aquamarine colours as quickly as possible.

“The good thing is that the white background is already in place. They just need to be sprayed over in green which will be done next year. The new buses being imported from abroad will sport the complete livery.”

The ill-fated Arriva had kicked off its operations on July 3, 2011 – an introduction which was marred by mounting frustration after many buses departed late or failed to turn up, primarily due to the absence of over 70 drivers who were due to transfer from the previous driver-owner system.

This resulted in large crowds building up at Valletta’s new bus terminus as well as other termini and bus stops across Malta. Other issues increased the delays, such as incorrect or non-operational route information on buses and mechanical faults.

The faulty onboard ticketing machines had led to confusion among passengers as to whether the service was free for the day. Due to the faults, passengers were allowed aboard without paying to ensure that routes were not disrupted further.

Arriva also received criticism over the overhauled routes and timetables, which increased journey times for some passengers.

The worst affected routes were the ones which used articulated, or bendy, buses which required specialised training.

One of the bendy-buses had got stuck near Mater Dei Hospital.