Enthusiast Forums and Websites
Web Forums / Discussion Groups
Maltabuses Yahoo Group
This is an active group with postings by knowledgable enthusiasts from the UK, Malta and elsewhere, founded by Richard Stedall, Chairman of Buses Worldwide. Joining the group is highly recommended and is particularly useful for subscribers to Maltese Transport News (see the Books and Magazines page) to keep right up to date with what is going on in Malta. Members can elect to view messages via their web browser, or receive them as emails. Attached photos are not stored but there is a separate photo album section, also a files area. Most years the administrator arranges an enthusiasts' tour, and joining the group will ensure that you don't miss out on these excellent trips.
Malta-Gozo-public-transport-email-pictures Yahoo Group
This fledgling members-only Yahoo group is intended for attaching photos. You need to have messages sent to your email address, since Yahoo do not store the attachments.
Maltese Transport Past and Present Domeus Group
This group lay more or less dormant for several months but was resurrected by Keith Till in November 2007 to encompass all forms of Maltese transport. A flurry of activity ensued, mostly photos of commercial vehicles. Like the Yahoo group you can elect to view postings on the web or as emails, but unlike Yahoo any attached photos are stored on the Domeus server, hence the group is mostly used for posting photos. Members can post by sending an email to maltabuses@domeus.co.uk.
Enthusiasts' own Websites
Keith Till has been visiting Malta regularly for many years, and he has teamed up with Maltese enthusiast Marco Zammit to produce the excellent Malta Buses Old and New photo gallery. The site has been expanded in recent months and now includes many historic photographs. Keith Till and Mac Head have also got together to produce probably the most comprehensive photographic site of the railway remains in their Malta Railway Remains site.
Stuart Harvey only started visiting Malta in 2005 but has been a frequent visitor since, and his Malta and Gozo Bus Fotopic website is remarkably comprehensive, including many withdrawn, stored and wrecked vehicles.
Alan Edwards has taken a rather different approach, and his Malta Memories website includes a wealth of interesting information on Malta, including a section on Malta and Gozo Route Buses, with tickets, bus maps, and much more. There is also a section on the Malta Railway with some very interesting photos of what remains. His Malta Memories photo gallery is also well worth a look; as well as buses it includes a section on tickets and some general photos from the 1930s and 1940s.
Gary Luck also has a site that is a little out of the ordinary. His Northern Blue Fotopic site includes some night shots and a fascinating "Malta buses that might have been" section.
Donald MacRae has made several visits since 1997 and his very nice VictoryGuy's Photo Gallery includes a number of Malta collections.
Mike Penn's Fotopic site M A Penn's Gallery also includes galleries of Maltese buses taken in 2003 and 2008.Bob Collier is a prolific modeller, and his Fotopic website includes a fascinating Malta Bus Collection.
Huddersfield Passenger Transport Group's Buses in Malta website includes a section of buses in the old green livery. When I last looked there were some problems with links not working.
Stuart Bell's wonderful Buses Around the World site includes some nice Maltese shots, mostly older ones in the green livery.
John Porter has a Fotopic site entitled Malta & Eastbourne Bus Photos which includes many taken between 2002 and 2008 as well as a few earlier shots.
Alan Watkins has a Fotopic site called Cyprus and Malta Buses which includes a large number of Malta buses taken in 2004.
D J Woodhouse has a site called Woodhouse Bus Depot which has some photos of Maltese buses from 1997.
Don Gaunt has a useful page on Walking the old Malta Railway, which is now a few years old but is nevertheless interesting and provides a useful comparison with the more recent photos on Keith and Mac's site.
Terry Partridge has a huge number of photos on his Flickr site dating from 1992 onwards, and also has a site under construction called Malta Bus Photos which has some interesting video footage from 1992 and 2003.
Flickr also has a group pool called Bus and Coach Malta and Gozo with a large number of photos uploaded by members.
Johann Tonna also has some fine photos under the title superhuan82's photostream on Flickr.
Tony Dumelow has pictures taken over several years on his Fotopic site, whilst his son Robert Dumelow also has a Fotopic site with photos from 2007 and 2008.
Tim from Swindon has some Maltese photos, including some from the green era, on his Tim's Tours Transport and Travel website.
The above websites are in no particular order. Please if you have a relevant website and would like a link adding above.
Malta Historic Vehicles Trust
Malta Historic Vehicles Trust
Established in February 2007, the Trust aims to acquire, restore and exhibit to the public vehicles that have a historic and social significance to Malta. The website includes a photogallery with interesting historic photos as well as current ones.
Miscellaneous Links
Transport Malta
Transport Malta is the successor to the ADT and is Malta's transport authority dealing with such matters as highways, licensing, and public transport. The new larger authority has wider responsibilities than the old ADT and also deals with aviation and maritime matters.
Ministry for Infrastructure, Transport and Communications.
The above website has updated details (October 2009) of the new routes to be introduced as part of the public transport reforms, including an updated map. The original proposals and maps from the National Conference on Malta Public Transport are also available once again.
Halcrow Report - Reorganisation of Bus Services in Malta. A report commissioned by the ADT and completed in 2005. This is a large PDF file (7.7 Mb) of the final report including a supplement, published January 2006.
Advertisement
DVD: Bussed up in Malta, featuring BUS STRIKE!
This 60 minute DVD was taken during my visit of late February/early March 2006. What makes this DVD unusual is that part of it was taken during the 3-day bus strike. You see Education Department Swifts in use on emergency services at the hospital and university, also at Dingli and Sliema, as well as army trucks, Health Department minibuses, and a Police midibus. Also featured are the Marsamxetto Ferry and a day trip to Gozo, as well as plenty of yellow route buses after the strike finished. Priced at only £6.00 plus £1.00 (UK) postage, please
if you would like to place an order. For postage outside the UK please enquire.