Malta had the highest increase in public transport usage among EU member states between 2010 and 2014, according to figures published by the International Association of Public Transport.

According to the report compiled by the Brussels-based organisation, in the five-year period under review, the number of bus journeys in Malta increased by 39.7 per cent to reach 43.7 million in 2014.

However, this might be of little consolation to many commuters who still insist that, in spite of all the reforms made in recent years, public transport is still not up to expectations. This seems to be especially the case on some popular routes like Sliema, Buġibba and Mellieħa, which are still the sources of repeated complaints.

The study also analysed the popularity of public transport services across the EU by comparing the average number of journeys done by inhabitants. In this respect, Malta ranks below the European average. While, in 2014, each Maltese citizen did an average of 107 bus journeys every year, EU-wide this stood at 131. The figures, however, took into considerations journeys using forms of public transport, such as suburban rail, the metro service and the tram, which are not available on the island.

The best performers were central and eastern European countries, with the Czech Republic topping the list with 308 journeys per capita. Slovenia had the lowest patronage levels with just 46 journeys per inhabitant in an entire year.