A local council in Safi will try to encourage parents to beat the morning traffic by creating a "walking school bus".

A walking bus is a form of student transport for schoolchildren who, chaperoned by two adults, walk to school along a set route, in much the same way a school bus would drive them to school.

The walking school bus is part of an initiative encouraging people to refrain from using their private cars. It also has the added bonus of helping children stay in shape, Transport Minister Ian Borg said.

Students will be able to walk from two identified areas to the primary school in Safi, accompanied by volunteers.

The Safi Council has won €10,000 as part of a mobility measures scheme and will now have one year to implement the initiative.

"This works in localities which are smaller and not incredibly busy,” Dr Borg said.

The Pietà council also won a €50,000 grant for a free and on-demand van for people in  town. Another €30,000 was awarded to the Għarb council to provide pedelecs to 16 to 18-year-old teenagers.

Speaking during the awards ceremony, Dr Borg said a record 50 million bus trips would be carried out this year compared to 33 million in 2012.

He said an initiative known as Bus 20, which offers free public transport to 16 to 20-years-old, resulted in young people taking the bus 3.2 million times in the past 10 months, Dr Borg added.

The number of people using the ferries ballooned from 66,000 in 2012 to 1.3 million in the last year, he noted.

"It is clear to us people are finding the system efficient and we are looking at increasing the areas where people can get a ferry,” he said.