Thirty-three new buses started operating with the public transport service today.

Malta Public Transport chairman Felipe Cosmen said the new Euro 6 buses would continue to improve the public transport experience in Malta.

The new 12-metre buses are fully air-conditioned and fully accessible to all passengers.

They are designed to carry more people and will be servicing the busiest routes.

“Our total investment so far in new buses, new technology, and in our people stands at €40 million. We are in a much better place than we were just 18 months ago," he said.

"We are proud to say that Malta now has one of the youngest bus fleets in Europe, with an average age of just over three years, while the average in Europe is over nine years.

"Almost half of our fleet is now less than one year old, with Euro 6 engines. We are setting new standards for environmentally friendly transport and contributing to cleaner air.”

Mr Cosmen said that in just over a year, the company had increased its fleet from 260 to over 400 buses, and doubled the number of drivers to over 1,000, most of whom were Maltese.