Malta Gets 33 New Kent 12m Buses

On the 24th of June, Malta Public Transport launched their latest investment in public transport in Malta with 33 new Otokar Kent C buses, in the presence of Honourable Joe Mizzi, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure of Malta.

This delivery came in addition to 143 Vectio C in September 2015, bringing the Otokar fleet to 176 units on the Malta island.

While the 9-meter buses provided flexibility to manoeuvre through various Maltese roads, these new 12- meter buses are designed to carry more people and will be servicing the busiest routes. This compliments the recent increase in bus trips as part of the summer service.

The 33 Kent C right hand drive buses are fully air-conditioned, and accessible to all passengers thanks to their low floor structure. They are environmentally friendly with the latest Euro 6 technology, and they are equipped with a number of safety features.

"We are proud to say that Malta now has one of the youngest bus fleets in Europe, with an average age of just over 3 years, while the average in Europe is over 9 years. Almost half of our fleet is now less than one year old, with Euro 6 engines. We are setting new standards for environmentally friendly transport and contributing to cleaner air" explained Mr Felipe Cosmen, Chairman of Malta Public Transport.

The Honourable Joe Mizzi, Minister for Transport and Infrastructure, who was also present for the launch explained how Government is improving public transport in Malta. "Nowadays, people expect to get on a comfortable bus and get to their destination on time. Throughout these two years, we have taken major steps to ensure that this can be achieved. This includes the introduction of new routes and modification in others, the introduction of the tallinja card which has helped reduce boarding time, and as a consequence, journey time has decreased as well. We have also seen the introduction of Priority Lanes and the new buses having two doors which further help reduce boarding and alighting times. The addition of these new buses will see seating capacity increase considerably." Explained Minister Joe Mizzi.

About The Kent C

The Kent C is a 12 meter vehicle which stands out with its superior maneuverability and cost-efficient operation thanks to its state-of-the-art integral durable and lightweight structure. It is an ideal city bus with full low floor, large interior space and powerful air conditioning in all seasons offering unique comfort to passengers. It offers maximum safety with EBS and automatic fire extinguisher system. It is simple and functional with double flap inward swinging front door, single flap inward swinging middle door and a wheelchair ramp

About Okotar

One of the companies of Koç Group, Otokar has been providing solutions special to the needs of the customers with its own technology, design and applications since 1963. It is operating with over 2000 employees at the factory built on a land of 552,000 m2 in Sakarya. Otokar has been manufacturing buses for public transportation, semi-trailers for transportation and logistics industry and tactical wheeled vehicles and tactical armored vehicles for the defense industry. Being a hundred percent Turkish capital company, Otokar is today present in the automotive and defense industries with products of which intellectual property rights are owned by it. Being a leader in the bus industry and the land vehicles in the defense industry in Turkey, Otokar is the main contractor in the Design and Prototype Development Project of ALTAY, the national battle tank of Turkey.