The government announced a €14 million investment in public transport through the addition of 40 new electric buses to the Malta Public Transport fleet as part of the long-term "Malta in Motion" strategy aimed at modernising mobility in Malta.
The investment will more than double Tallinja's electric fleet and forms part of the government's wider plans to strengthen sustainable and efficient transport systems while reducing environmental impact, a government statement said. The move is also expected to support the government's target of making Gozo's public transport fleet fully electric.
The announcement was made by the Ministry for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, which described the initiative as another major step towards cleaner and technologically advanced public transport.
Alongside the investment, the government also unveiled a pilot project involving an autonomous electric shuttle. The project is being carried out through a collaboration between the ministry, Malta Public Transport and the University of Malta, with co-financing from the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme through the metaCCAZE project.
Transport Minister Chris Bonett said the investment showed that the Malta in Motion vision was being implemented in practice.
"This is not a plan or a presentation on paper, but a vision that is being built step by step, investment after investment," Bonett said. He added that following the launch of a new sea transport service last week, the government was continuing to push towards cleaner, more modern and sustainable mobility solutions.
Bonett also announced that from next Sunday, several new bus routes, route extensions and increased service frequencies on popular routes would come into effect in a bid to improve efficiency and convenience for passengers.
Malta Public Transport chairman Felipe Cosmen said the introduction of the buses represented another milestone in the long-term modernisation of Malta's public transport system.
He said that when the group took over Malta's public transport service in 2015, it had committed itself to investing in and continuously improving the system.
"Public transport is not just a service, but part of the country's daily rhythm and a key contributor to social, economic and environmental wellbeing," Cosmen said.
The autonomous electric shuttle has already arrived in Malta and will undergo a structured testing phase lasting at least six months. The vehicle, which can carry up to 15 passengers, will be tested on routes in both Malta and Gozo starting next month before eventually being introduced for public use.
The pilot project would assess the performance of autonomous transport technology on carefully selected and pre-approved routes, the government said.
Safety measures will include the presence of a trained safety operator on board at all times during testing, with the ability to immediately take control of the vehicle if necessary. The testing process will also follow a newly published regulatory framework issued by Transport Malta.