The number of passengers who travelled on the new public transport system went up by 22 per cent last month when compared to September last year, according to figures released by the Transport Ministry.

In the first statistical release of its kind since the new Arriva bus service started operating in July, the ministry said that last month, 3.2 million passengers used the service as opposed to 2.6 million last year.

In August, the peak of the tourist season, 3.7 million passengers made use of the service, a rise of 27 per cent over the same month last year.

The highest increase in passengers was registered in Gozo where bus patronage rose by a whopping 371 per cent in September to 207,440 from 44,000 last year.

“These figures show greater passenger trust in the service despite the substantial shortcomings that have to be addressed by the operator,” the ministry said.

It noted that more routes, more destinations and a more expanded service offered the public better transport opportunities.

The ministry said the substantial rise in patronage was beyond expectations and may have led to a number of problems.