All pre-established records of usage of the Park and Ride service were broken yesterday when a staggering 3,300 people used the shuttle service to Valletta after having parked their cars in the parking area in Blata l-Bajda.

A spokesman for the Roads and Urban Development Ministry told The Malta Independent that until 5pm yesterday, the shuttle buses were operating every three to four minutes to transport the thousands of people who thronged the streets of Valletta for Christmas shopping.

The scheme, introduced a few weeks ago, offers parking and a mini-van transport to Valletta at no charge. The scheme is aimed at easing congestion and traffic in the capital city. The shuttle service leaves from the Park and Ride site every four minutes during peak hours and every 10 minutes in non-peak times and drops commuters off by the Opera House ruins at the top of Republic Street.