Park & Ride usage more than doubles following tariff reduction

Following a recent reduction in rates, the Floriana Park and Ride facility doubled its patronage on Monday morning when compared to the previous week's amount, according to Transport Malta.

On Sunday, Transport Malta announced that in the next week, the normal rates at the Floriana Park and Ride were to be slashed to 40c per vehicle, including the free shuttle service to and from Valletta.

In its statement TM said the number of cars which used this facility amounted to 650 vehicles out of a possible 750 parking places, which was more than twice the 296 cars of the previous Monday morning.

"This very positive response on day one confirms that the Floriana Park and Ride was not being exploited enough," TM said.

"Our aim is to make full use of the space available, and to offer a convenient and reliable way to access Valletta and Floriana without the hassle of looking for parking."

The Park and Ride shuttle service, which combines a parking area together with a constant shuttle service to and from Valletta and the parking area, is now operated by the Minibus Co-op Services Limited after former public transport operator Arriva left earlier this year. It offers a shuttle service every 10 minutes, while in rush hours it halves down its waiting time.

TM added that it is "already working" towards increasing more parking zones in the coming weeks. Facilities are open between 6am and 9pm all week, including Sundays and public holidays.