The Philatelic Bureau of MaltaPost p.l.c. will issue on 2 July 2011 a philatelic commemorative set of 20 stamps entitled Malta Buses - "The End of an Era" to mark the withdrawal from service of Malta's iconic buses.

The stamps are reproductions of original artworks by local artist Cedric Galea Pirotta who was commissioned to paint 20 of the most popular buses covering the principal routes throughout Malta and Gozo, each in its original route livery. The routes depicted in the stamps are: Birkirkara, Birkirkara - St.Julian's, Cospicua, Gozo, Gudja-Ghaxaq, Kalafrana, Lija, Mellieha, Mosta, Naxxar, Rabat, Siggiewi, Sliema, Zabbar, Zebbug-Siggiewi, Zejtun and Zurrieq. The three other buses included in the commemorative set are those for "Private Hire", the Gozo Mail Bus and the Magirus Deutz representing "All Routes". 

3,580,000 stamps carry a face value of €0.20 while 200,000 stamps carry a face value of €0.69. The stamps measure 44.0mm x 31.0mm with a perforation of 13.9 x 14.0 (comb). All stamps have been offset printed on Maltese Crosses watermarked paper by Printex Limited and are available in two sheets each of 10 different stamps bearing a denomination of €0.20 and €0.69 respectively.

This stamp set is available from all Post Offices in Malta and Gozo and also from the Mobile Post Office. More information is available from the MaltaPost Philatelic Bureau by visiting www.maltaphilately.com, emailing philately@maltapost.com, telephoning on 2596 1740 or by post at 305, Triq Ħal-Qormi, Marsa MTP 1001.

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