Malta bus punctuality rate now at 95%, says transport minister

The punctuality rate of buses on the island now stands at 95%, transport minister Joe Mizzi has said.

Addressing Parliament, Mizzi said that this figure includes buses that arrive on time and those that arrive slightly late, up until ten minutes behind schedule.

He also said that complaints about buses plummeted by 75% last year when compared to 2015, and that the number of bus passengers continued to rise by a few percentage points.

“This increase was not only due to an increase in tourists, but also due to the fact that other passengers are using the bus,” he said.

Mizzi added that 176 of the buses in Malta Public Transport’s fleet are new and low-polluting, that over 190,000 people own a tallinja card, that over 100,000 people have downloaded the Tallinja mobile app, and that accidents involving buses decreased by 10% between 2015 and 2016.

“These are facts that give a clear picture of the current situation of public transport. This is the truth and this is reality, and we will continue trying to improve the services.”

Mizzi was speaking during a debate on his ministry’s supplementary estimates for 2017, in which he focused on the national transport strategy until 2050 that Transport Malta launched last September.