That's a real shame, even though the yellow buses were hot and a bit uncomfortable, it was all part of the Malta holiday experience. Some of the drivers really took care of them buses and decorated them inside with family photo's and religous items, real shame

I posted on this a while ago, they are having a two tier fare system. A lower fare for residents and a higher fare (but less than they are currently) for tourists.

I see that there are a few topics about Malta's buses, so not sure if this article has already been mentioned:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/9520210.stm

David

That's it then.

The new bus service is in operation.

I have 'borrowed' this from Todays Sunday times.
I hope it helps us all?

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110717/motoring/Editorial-How-wrong-did-they-actually-get-it-.375996

there has been 2 weeks of this already.
looks like there may be a major rethink of routes going on in the background

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20110726/local/Full-bus-service-promised-by-Sept-11.377411

Should be fully up and running by the 11 September

Some numbers missing from above article that were in the press release it quotes from

325 - maximum number of ex-ATP drivers Arriva were obliged to employ
220 - number of ex-ATP drivers who had committed to transfer to Arriva Malta 14 days before contract start
110 - number of ex-ATP drivers who appeared during the first week of the new operation
81 - number of ex-ATP drivers working for Arriva Malta today

what the hell happened?? Whatever, 100 British drivers are now having to spend their summer in Malta to help out - it's hard job but someone's got to do it!!!

THe new website with timetables that make sense (well they do to me!) is at http://www.arriva.com.mt

WARNING - if you are Boris Johnson or any of the other gormless Londoners who couldn't cope with bendy-buses you aren't going to like Malta - Arriva's didn't get scrapped in some ceremony outside City Hall, they got exported to Malta!!

What you need to know is that to use that site you need the prefix in the name, so although it is under Q for Qawra, it comes up as Il-Qawra on the site. Sliema again is under S but Tas-Sliema.

EU have ruled against Malta on the issue of Bus Prices. This means that eventually the two-tier pricing will be phased out.

Secondly - for anyone going out in the next few weeks. the Bendy Buses are out of service (due to three going on fire) and Arriva have been made to remove them from service. As such some bus routes are being subcontracted out including the express routes from the airport.

Thanks for the update Helen

Major changes to the Bus Service. Arriva are pulling out from 2 January and Transport Malta are going to be Temporarily running the service after buying out Arriva.

If you are goingin the next couple of months it might be worth while gaining copies of the current timetables in case the arriva malta website disappears and the timetables remain the same.