Autobuses de Leon has debunked the myth that it will be bringing over Spanish drivers to run its bus service in Malta.

Company chairman Felipe Cosman this morning said Malta Public Transport wanted to employ Maltese drivers because they knew the domestic scenario.

“I believe the company had a Spanish driver but he went back home,” he said jokingly at an information briefing with journalists.

Malta Public Transport will increase its complement by 300 to some 1,000 employees by the end of the year as it plans to expand the route network and add another 142 new buses to its fleet.

Autobuses de Leon took over the bus operation on Thursday in what was an uneventful day. They retained the name Malta Public Transport.

The company will introduce changes gradually with the more radical development happening in July with the launch of a transport card to encourage people not to buy tickets on the bus. Mr Cosman said ticket prices would remain unchanged until then.

The card would work on the same lines as the Oyster card used on London’s public transport system.

Mr Cosman said the card would be given for free during the first year to encourage as many commuters as possible to have one.

Swiping the pre-topped up card on the bus would ensure that a two-hour journey would cost 75c. Commuters who opt to buy tickets on the bus would pay €1.50 for the same journey, going up to €2 in summer.

Mr Cosman said having a quick turnaround of passengers at bus stops was crucial to ensure an efficient and timely service.

“We expect the use of the card to have a big impact on passenger turnaround as will the use of the new buses with two doors,” he said.

He ruled out the use of double-decker buses, saying they were not suitable for most of Malta’s roads.