On July 3rd Malta says goodbye to the old orange buses as the entire system is replaced by newer, more comfortable and greener buses operated by Arriva which is the largest provider of passenger transport in Europe.
The new buses have been purchased specifically to handle the hills and winding roads of the islands. Many of the bus routes have also been changed and will make it more effecient with direct routes from town to town rather than using the Valletta hub system which made it very cumbersome for many Maltese who had to change buses. The new buses are all aquamarine in colour.
While everyone is excited about the new system there is also a sense of nostalgic sadness as the old buses are retired. Many of these buses started life in the UK over 50 years ago, they were imported to Malta and their bodies were rebuilt. The buses were owned by individuals who were usually also the drivers. Many of these buses featured alot of detailing and decoration including certain spiral designs which can also be found on the Maltese Luzzus. Others opted for lucky images such as horse shoes or the name of their patron saint painted in front or on the side.
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