I know I will never drive a car in Malta. Although it’s often hard, especially in the evening, to go and come from certain places on the island, I will never get behind the wheel in this country. It’s too dangerous; I don’t feel like learning how to drive on the left (as in the UK); I would go crazy looking for a parking spot. So when I have to, I will pay for a taxi or put up with the bus system.
But there are many people who would never step up inside one of Malta’s infamous buses. If you’re one of these people who prize the comfort of an auto over everything else, then you should consider renting (or buying) a car in Malta.
So how do you decide? Here are some of the pros and cons of cars versus the public transportation in Malta:
Cars–The Pros
1, A car is convenient when you need to travel outside the main cities of Sliema, St Julian’s and the capital of Valletta. It’s easier to get to faraway beaches, such as Golden Bay, when you drive a car, especially if you bring a lot of beach and/ or picnic equipment. If you readily need access to the airport, a car is your best bet. While the bus provides access to most places in Malta during the day, the bus is a very inconvenient way of returning home in the evening from many villages outside of the large coastal cities and towns. Many buses stop running after 6 PM from the outskirts.
2. Renting a car is easy and not that expensive in Malta. It costs about 20 Euros a day. You may not always get a car with automatic transmission, but it is possible if you book several days in advance.
3. With a car you will (or, at least, should) have reliable air conditioning which is necessary in the summer. Air conditioning is not available on the old Maltese buses.
4. In fact, the buses are hot, noisy, uncomfortable and crowded. In the summer, the buses are filled with very boisterous and often rude foreign language students. The buses drivers are nasty; and often cheat you–when they realize you’re a foreigner–by not giving you back your change.
5. A car is good if you have any physical limitations or medical conditions that could be aggravated by stress. You often have to take a big step on and off the bus. And the bus often starts moving before you’re seated. Don’t take a bus if you’re pregnant; most of the buses don’t have good shock absorbers and the ride can be dangerously bumpy.
6. Another advantage of a car is that you won’t need a lot of gas or petrol because the island is small.
7. A car is necessary when you have a lot of groceries. If you don’t transport your groceries by car, you’ll have to use the standard European two-wheel cart. This can be hard when you must climb up and down many of Malta’s hills.
8. If you choose to travel around or live in Gozo, the smaller sister island of Malta, you need a car to go most places because Gozo is primarily farmland and countryside.
Cars–the Cons
1. Parking in very bad in the main towns. You may have to drive around several times looking for a spot near your flat, house of hotel if you’re visiting.
2. You must be confident in driving on the left, as in England.
3. Driving is dangerous in Malta. There are few traffic signals, speed limits–but lots of traffic circles (roundabouts) and very narrow, one-say streets to navigate. And as kind as the Maltese are on the sidewalks, they become vicious drivers behind the wheel. Many drink and drive, don’t stop for pedestrians and freely express their road rage toward other drivers.
4. Cars age quickly in Malta because most of the roads are in very poor condition. And if you like a clean car, forget it: a polished car will acquire Maltese dust and dirt within 20 minutes.
5. The buses are a cheap alternative to driving a car (an average of 47 cents) and there is no problem with parking.
6. If you have the time, taking the ferry to the capital Valletta is dependable, pleasant and convenient, as it takes you to the main bus terminal on the island, with connections to all the remote areas of Malta.
If you do want a car in Malta, especially if you plan on residing here, buy one here. It’s not worth shipping one over from Europe. The tax you pay for bringing in a car in outlandish–sometimes more than the car is worth. And you would eventually have to convert to a car that is made for driving on the left–unlike most of the cars in Europe (except for the UK).
Ilene Springer lives in Malta and is author of An-American-in-Malta.com.
