Are Malta's buses any good? We asked commuters to tell us what they think

With roughly 50 days to go before buses become free for all Maltese residents, long wait times and unreliability continue to plague the national public transport service.

That is what regular bus commuters told us on Tuesday, when we spoke to several of them at bus stops across Malta.

“I sometimes wait 30 minutes or more for a bus” Hailey, who uses the bus daily, said. “In the heat, it can get very tiring,” she said.

Hailey’s experience was echoed by many others, accentuating concerns that a public transportation service that is just weeks from being extended to all the population is already running at full capacity.

Bus fares will be scrapped for all residents as of October 1. Senior citizens and students already travel on the bus for free. The governing Labour Party says the move is intended to increase bus use and reduce cars on the road.

To use the bus, however, commuters need to be able to hop aboard one.

Vox Pop: How do people find public transport

Full buses often pass-through bus stops without picking up new passengers, leaving disappointed people behind, frustrated and forced to wait for the next scheduled bus.

 Elda told us she must often catch a taxi when this...