Many of those who lived in Malta a few decades ago remember the iconic yellow buses that became one of Malta’s main symbols, even after they were phased out. Less people know, however, that the very first ‘bus’ used in Malta looked nothing like the buses we’re familiar with, and went by the name of ‘omnibus’. According to Vassallo History, the very first omnibus was brought to Malta in October 1856 from England by Censu Attard and was a horse-drawn affair.

A month later, the omnibus, which carried a grand total of 16 passengers, began operation, serving localities such Lija, Valletta, Balzan, Birkirkara and Hamrun. As the years went by, and more omnibuses were acquired from abroad, more localities were reachable via this service, including St Julian’s and Zebbug. Later, some trips began to be organised to Mdina and sometimes even to St Paul’s Bay!

Motor-powered omnibuses, generally referred to simply as ‘buses’, came into the picture after the development of Malta’s railway, around the same time as the tram. In fact, the introduction of motor buses, that commenced in 1905, led to the eventual termination of the railway services, which were comparatively expensive to run.

A photo shared on the Facebook group St Julian’s Malta shows one of the first bus fleet from 1905, imported by family Agius. This particular bus, according to the caption, was given the number three, and operated on the Valletta-St Julian’s route, carrying 40 passengers on a double-decker!

Can you imagine riding one of Malta’s first ever buses?