Forty brand new buses will arrive in Malta and be introduced in service next month and another 102 will arrive in batches throughout summer, Malta Public Transport announced today.

The buses are being built by Turkish company Otokar, which was set up in 2011 to supply the European bus market. The first buses will be delivered ahead of schedule.

Technical people from Malta Public Transport and its Spanish parent company Alesa are in Turkey to check out the buses before shipment.

This is their sixth visit to check on the building of the buses. The chairman of Malta Public Transport and director of Alesa, Felipe Cosmen was also in Turkey to visit the manufacturing plant.

The new buses are 9.6 meters long and slightly narrower than the majority of the existing fleet.

The new length will improve the flexibility for the operation as the buses will be able to manoeuvre better on certain routes, MPT said.

These buses are low floor, providing easy access for wheelchair and pushchairs. They have two doors, intended to allow people to board and alight  efficiently therefore reducing boarding time. The buses have a capacity of 60 passengers. They are equipped with Euro 6 engines,the very latest standards for environmentally friendly public transport.