Malta's oldest bus has taken to the streets again.

'Rambu' as it is affectionately known by people in the industry, served its last years as a route bus in Gozo, but with the introduction of the Arriva service, it was retired and sold in Malta.

Rather than ending up in a museum or the scrap heap, it has been loving restored and is about to start a new lease of life at a tourist bus.

Rambu's claim to fame lies in the fact that its truck chassis was built in 1919.

"It will be a century old in less than eight years' time, new proud owner Manuel Cutajar said as the bus was rolled out from a garage in Hal Farrug, Luqa.

The roof is still the original, he said. The Perkins engine is not as old, but at 45 years, it is not young either.

The typically Maltese bodywork was revamped several times, with the 'chin' engine cover associated with older models having been removed some years ago. 

The bus was driven mostly on the Zabbar route before being sold in Gozo in 1972.

It now has the orange colour scheme of the last bus service before the advent of Arriva, after having sported the grey and red of the Gozo bus service over the past few years.

At the time it sported the name Rambo but Mr Cutajar said that has been changed to Rambu because that is how the people know this bus and 'it is more Maltese'.