Buses in Malta

[Ex BC driver]

Courtesy Of Yahoo group (uk-bus-fleetnews)

It appears a batch of up to 30 x 3 door 56/57 plate Merc Citaros currently with OmniServ on Airside transfer work at Heathrow Airport (formerly with NSL) & currently being replaced by brand new 3 door E200's, will be heading to Malta after having their offside doors removed.

There was 2 mercs heading north on the M40 today

[winston]

Courtesy Of Yahoo group (uk-bus-fleetnews)

It appears a batch of up to 30 x 3 door 56/57 plate Merc Citaros currently with OmniServ on Airside transfer work at Heathrow Airport (formerly with NSL) & currently being replaced by brand new 3 door E200's, will be heading to Malta after having their offside doors removed.

There was 2 mercs heading north on the M40 today

I believe some/all are having their offside doors removed by Evobus in Coventry

[winston]

For anyone interested:

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-01-11/local-news/Arriva-is-history-says-Alesa-boss-6736128470

[mikestone]

Arriva of course did the hard bit, replacing the owner drivers, even if they didn't do it well.

[Liverpool Street]

For anyone interested:

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-01-11/local-news/Arriva-is-history-says-Alesa-boss-6736128470

Oh dear. Even Malta has surcomed to the EU's strangle hold. Oh well, I'd rather the B7RLE and solos then anything ADL in my holiday destination.

[the trainbasher]

For anyone interested:

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-01-11/local-news/Arriva-is-history-says-Alesa-boss-6736128470

Oh dear. Even Malta has surcomed to the EU's strangle hold. Oh well, I'd rather the B7RLE  and solos then anything ADL in my holiday destination.

And in a roundabout way they're NX owned so NX Group have brought some solos and Eclipse2s in a way....

[PM]

For anyone interested:

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2015-01-11/local-news/Arriva-is-history-says-Alesa-boss-6736128470

Oh dear. Even Malta has surcomed to the EU's strangle hold. Oh well, I'd rather the B7RLE  and solos then anything ADL in my holiday destination.

And in a roundabout way they're NX owned so NX Group have brought some solos and Eclipse2s in a way....

Nope as they're leased and were acquired last summer when the government was in charge of local bus routes as a way of improving reliability.

[winston]

For anyone interested, ALSA subsidiary Autobuses de Leon's new Malta livery

http://maltabuses.piwigo.com/index?/category/469-autobuses_de_leon_livery

[Bryan]

For anyone interested, ALSA subsidiary Autobuses de Leon's new Malta livery

http://maltabuses.piwigo.com/index?/category/469-autobuses_de_leon_livery

Can't say I'm keen on the shade of green used.

[Dylanbusboy45]

Looks as if the Malta Volvo B7RLE/Wright Eclipse 2s are starting to come back from Malta. I saw BD14KXY earlier at Graysons near the NEC.

[winston]

One was in service with Transdev Yellow Buses as 997 BG14OPD on 12th Nov.

I assume they're at Graysons to have air-conditioning modified or removed

[barry619]

It never happened because (the story goes) the Sudanese buyers failed to pay in time and they were scrapped instead. There were apparently very stringent conditions attached to the timescales for payment and removal of the artics from Malta, presumably because they had become a major embarrassment to the government there.

[winston]

It never happened because (the story goes) the Sudanese buyers failed to pay in time and they were scrapped instead. There were apparently very stringent conditions attached to the timescales for payment and removal of the artics from Malta, presumably because they had become a major embarrassment to the government there.

Not all ex Arriva Malta artics have been scrapped, some still exist in the quarry

[winston]

@barry619 - Thanks for the info. It is a shame that they never went to Sudan as i think a country like Sudan could really benefit from having some modern vehicles like these on their bus services. They have had years of war and i dont think that they have many modern buses in the country.

@Winston - Thanks for the info. It is good to hear that not all of them have been scrapped. Do you know which vehicles are still in the quarry and have not been scrapped yet. Also will they keep these vehicles or will they get scrapped as well.

Also does anyone know who the Sudanese buyer was (was a bus operator in a Sudan) and what they intended to use these vehicles on in Sudan.

It is a shame to see so many Bendy Buses (mainly Mercedes Benz Citaro O530G buses) getting stored out of use or scrapped.

This is where I got the info from, no ID's
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/maltabuses/conversations/messages/14966

Since found this picture site, but can't find the latest Citaro Artics pictured on Yahoo Groups
http://maltabuses.piwigo.com/

[winston]

@Winston - Thanks for the info. Yes the malta buses website (the second link that you sent me) is an excellent website. It seems to have photos of almost every Arriva Malta bus.

With the yahoo group link that you sent me - i cant seem to view it - as i think that you have to be a member of the group. What does it say on this page and what buses are photo(s) of.

I believe that all of the following Mercedes Benz Citaro O530G buses went to Malta.

I would quite like to find out which ones are still around and which ones have been scrapped. Do you know if the Maltese government has a vehicle check website (like the one that we have in the UK). I am wondering if the ones that have not been scrapped yet might re enter service in Malta and maybe they will come back to the UK - i hope that they dont get scrapped as well.

Below is the conversation, the photo is an Arriva Malta Citaro artic in the quarry (photo side on) - no ID as previously posted

Join the Yahoo Group, someone on there may be able to confirm which still exist in the quarry.

Why would anyone pay to send them back to the UK, when there is an abundance of ex London examples that no one wants

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The Citaro Artics have been moved around the quarry a bit since last visit there. This one looks as if it is about to 'jump'

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Hi Keith,

Which quarry are they in. I will search next January!

Andrew

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Hi Andrew,

Take the No. 36 bus from Valletta. Ask to be put off at San Gwann Industrijali

Have fun.

Kind regards.

Keith.