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It is still an on-going issue in Malta: should the old, chugging public transport charabancs of yesteryear be replaced with the new, slim-line buses purposely built for the Maltese road?
No side has completely won the case as yet, which is why the Maltese bus fleet today is made up of many new, modern coaches, but also of an amazing selection of old buses that go back to Pre-World War II days. Car lovers and bus enthusiasts who happen to visit Malta often refuse to believe their eyes when they see them on the road for the first time.
Taking a ride on them is an experience they would never have thought possible in their lifetime. The traditional Maltese bus is a treasure trove of old style and tradition. Religious icons and slogans greet you as you go in, the windows rattle, the seats are hard and unrelenting, the "stop" lever still made of leather coil. An air of friendliness permeates the whole trip. The driver may be wearing a sort of uniform and he may not, particularly in summer when shorts are a prerequisite, particularly if you happen to be too near the roaring, multiple-revamped engine that never stops.
Though extremely efficient and cheap, the Maltese public transport system can still seem complicated to the new user, but that should not worry you unduly. The driver and your fellow travellers won't have a problem telling you where and when to descend, even where and when to take the bus back to Valletta, where all the buses go.
The traditional Maltese bus may be in the throes of death as a result of the current modernisation project, but tour services on typical Maltese traditional buses, painted in the tradition of the epoch, have become a popular choice with visitors who, on them, can at least catch the spirit of that vanishing breed of old honkers.
You don’t need us to tell you how easy it is to catch a bus. But you might find a list of exactly where they go quite helpful. So here is a link to the transport authority’s website www.maltatransport.com
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