Arriva Malta defends two-tier fares structure

D Farrugia

Nov 22nd 2010, 17:52

As far as i know i was never asked to pay a higher price in the UK for an Underground ticket just because i am not a UK resident. If i were there with a group of friends from the UK i would really feel insulted and discriminated against if i am charged a higher rate simply because i am not British or do not hold a British passport or Identity card. If the UK follows this example and will start charging me a higher rate then i will say thank you very much Mr Government for the sound legalized discriminatory measure you came up with.

Ben Zammit

Nov 22nd 2010, 13:34

Here's an idea. How about Air Malta adopts this structure? Maybe Maltese residents can enjoy lower fares than tourists when flying abroad?. In principle, how would we like it if other carriers like Easy Jet and British Airways charged more for the Maltese to use their services and less for British citizens How about in London, we charge the Maltese more to use the Tube and bus services there. How about in Britain they ask for ID cards, and charge extra on all items purchased by Maltese tourists? I'm not arguing about a few extra cents, its the principle. This is insanity. Malta needs to learn its part of Europe, and that it needs to abide by European principles. Its great we will get new buses, hopefully happier drivers, but to hike up fairs to foreigners? only in Malta.

Kris Renshaw

Nov 22nd 2010, 10:48

Speaking from a tourist point of view, the rates set out for Malta buses seem OK to me. EUR12 is nothing for a week pass. Amsterdam is EUR30 for a 7 day, ok this gives you access to most of the transport options only in amsterdam. For example: AMSTERDAM Locals: OV Chipcard, cheaper rates, residents only Tourists: GVB Card more expensive than the above http://www.gvb.nl/ENGLISH/TRAVELLERS/TICKETS-AND-FARES/Pages/GVB-24-48-72-96-hour-tickets.aspx LONDON Locals: Oystercard (granted, anyone can buy but isn’t worth the effort) Tourists: cash, a lot more expensive than the above KARL CAMILLERI's comments are correct in my and general business sense.

John Forster

Nov 22nd 2010, 10:47

@ BG Camilleri Most European bus companies are subsidised by local tax payers , all bus companies in the UK are subsidised by local tax payers. YOU as a tourist from Malta will not be charged more for a fare than anyone else. Try and understand it is the ' Principal ' not the costs , and this situation cannot help tourism to Malta.

Carmel Garcia

Nov 22nd 2010, 07:26

I am happy with the new bus service. Let's hope that it will be so very good service. And also let's hope that buses should drive only on bus lanes were they are available. And to the drivers, be more educated. If not don't drive buses. Respect the public using the bus service if you want the public to respect you.

M Rizzo

Nov 22nd 2010, 00:12

On what basis does the bus driver know whether a passenger is resident or not? Not all residents have ID cards. And also some non-residents have ID cards! Isn't this just asking for trouble ?

charles philip zammit

Nov 21st 2010, 23:51

ma gara xejn. issa isibu li ma jistghux jiddiskriminaw u xjghamlu tal arriva. tahsbu li se jrahhsu il prezz tat turisti....mela le...issa jghamlu studju jaraw kemm kienu stmaw li jdahhlu izjed min din il mossa u jillowdjaw il prezz tal maltin skond kemm ipprogettaw il profitti taghhom....jekk ma jzidux xi euro l hawn u l hemm for a good measure ......

H Zammit

Nov 21st 2010, 22:54

1. Imagine a tourist and a local buying tickets at the same time and paying differently. How would the tourist feel? Discremenated. 2. Imagine you are abroad on holiday and you have to pay more simply because you are on holiday. 3. Finally imagine Arriva's advertising the selling of fare tickets showing different prices for the same trip for locals and tourists. To be fair I think there should same fares for locals and tourists alike but there should be a heavily reduced rates for monthly, quarterly or even yearly tickets / passes.

John Micallef

Nov 21st 2010, 19:16

As regards the congestion of traffic, a quick solution would be to provide a decent school transport as anybody can see the difference in traffic flow between a normal day and a day when there is no school. Why is it that parents still insist on taking their kids to school? Bad or expensive service? Bad drivers? Unsupervised transport? Apart from the additional traffic and hassle, many workers risk arriving late to work after dropping their kids at school, not to mention some crazy driving to get there on time...ironically.

John Micallef

Nov 21st 2010, 19:11

I think that the best way to implement a two-tier fare is by issuing visibly cheaper weekly or monthly tickets. For those people making a one-off bus trip (like when I decide to take it easy to Valeltta) a higher fare is not an issue, but I sure want to see that the Bus is a feasable alternative for daily commuting.

BG Camilleri

Nov 21st 2010, 12:40

Those who say the 2 tarrfif system is wrong, do they know what they are talking about? If the government wanting us to leave our car at home and will be paying subsidy money to Arriva for us to do that then that is fair. We do pay tax so at least we are getting somethign back out of it. Tourists don't pay tax - so shouldn't get the discount we get by paying by our taxpayer fees.

I think tourist associations shouting out about this should to realise that the tourist aren't being charged more - they are paying basic price without taxpayer discount. They still get good deal.

Mr Edwards - looking at Gatt presentation from 6 November said Malta is still cheapest cost for buses compared to other cities in Europe. And if the reform is true and Arriva do what they say it will be better than now for not much more cost for a ticket. If you stop coming to Malta for the sake of a few cents - not overcharging but not discounted - I am sad for you. If it was 5 times cost now then you could talk about rip off!

micallef joe

Nov 21st 2010, 12:05

Oh well what new you go to Gozo you have a price for the locals price for the Maltese and one for the tourists and very soon we all have to hang the I.D cards around our neck because whereever you go they want your I.D

John Doneo

Nov 21st 2010, 12:05

@ A Zahra
Which part of the Two Tier system do you not understand. Anywhere in Europe, you get on a bus, train. or tube, you buy a ticket and no one ask you to prove that you are a citizen of that country. You pay the same as any one else. This has nothing to do, with all other discounts you can get if you can get. If you are visiting for longer period you can also get the discount without any one asking you for any proof of identity, you are treated as EQUAL. As the other gentleman told you if you come from Asia, Africa or anywhere else you pay the same as anyone else.Any way you look at it TWO TIER SYSTEM IS DISCRIMINATING

Jamie Iain Genovese

Nov 21st 2010, 11:42

Fan. Freaking. Tastic. If every Tom, Dick and Wenzu driving a bus starts asking me for ID on my morning route to school, uni or work I just may tattoo the Maltese flag on my face.

Excessive? Maybe. But I wouldn't look forward to disputing my nationality over a morning coffee with a bus driver just so I don't shell out whatever tax they're charging.

Blah.

Chris Grillo

Nov 21st 2010, 11:30

Without sounding too bright, I came upn this article and read that there are different tiers...

Well, for the tourist who is spending ten days in Malta, I would just get a maltese guy/girl to buy me the tickets him/herself.

And the last time I was in London not too many weeks ago, I was with English friends on the bus, and we all had the same prices...

Lastly, I have a feeling this is SOOOO illegal...

NEVER ON A BUS, YOU WILL NEVER GET ME ON A BUS....OLE OLE OLE......

Joseph E Briffa

Nov 21st 2010, 10:07

@Kevin Camilleri....this is the price one has to pay when the people's living standards go up. With 300 000 vehicles on the road in this little island what can one expect? What's surprising is not the dearth of parking spaces but that we still have space to drive our vehicles.

Alan Edwards

Nov 21st 2010, 10:04

My Wife and I as tourists, have lost count of how many times we have been overcharged when buying Kinnie, Pastizzi and snacks from Kiosks around Malta. Now the buses are going to charge tourists more then Maltese residents. At least this has now got official blessing. I can see that many tourists who have spent a fortune while on holiday in Malta in the past may well be saying ARRIVA DERCI Malta in the future.

mark johnson

Nov 21st 2010, 09:57

Please don't judge malta or the maltese by this. Big heads who never use the buses have decided it must be easy to show a maltese ID card as a bus pass to get lower fares. If they had a system where you had to apply for a bus pass then no one would complain.

Karl Camilleri

Nov 21st 2010, 05:30

It's inappropriate of what you're saying... it's simple:

If you're gonna buy a season ticket ex. for a whole year it's obviously gonna be more cheaper (and this will automatically apply for Maltese residents.... )

If you're gonna buy weekly/daily tickets (which most tourists look for) than this is going to cost more.....

I don't really know why you're complaining this far ... as if a tourist is gonna check the prices to take him from point A to B when it's the most cheapest transport service in Malta if not the world.

Certi nies qatt ma jkunu kuntenti....

N. Bonello

Nov 21st 2010, 02:42

I find this Two-Tier fare talk nonsense. It's just a conveniently produced smoke screen.

On a lighter note. Don't we ALREADY have a Two-Tier fare system operating in Malta - those tourists being ripped off big time.

alan meadows

Nov 21st 2010, 01:59

I really cannot understand who is advising MT & Arriva on their PR communication strategy!
Why on earth did they announce that there is to be a set price for buying ticket "packages", BUT non residents - meaning tourists, will be charged more.
Wouldn't it have made more sense to set the ticket prices, and then announce special discounted "packages" for specific season passes obtainable on presentation of a local ID card.
It's a matter of semantics and perceptions, as it is mostly residents who use the buses on a daily basis over a longer time period, who would buy them.

Lesley Zarb

Nov 21st 2010, 00:58

My husband and I visit Malta every 5 yrs to see his relatives and I think what you are going to do with the new bus fares is what we see as DISCRIMINATION against the TOURIST.. ARRIVA need to invest that money into the poor conditions on your ROADS and at the BUS VENDORS. And another problem you need to reconsider is that when your buses are involved in an accident like it happened to me this year in Malta. When you are told by the INSPECTOR to get off the BUS and WALK back to where you have to get another bus... That was appauling to expect your PAYING TOURIST to be told to get off the bus and walk after i had just got on and paid our fare that was not even refunded to us, and then to top it off we had to walk in the HEAT and TRAFFIC up the bottom of the hill past the EXCELLSIOR HOTEL in Valletta... So if you decide to charge the TOURIST this HIGHER FARE then you need to consider the fact that the SERVICE WILL NEED TO BE OF HIGHER STANDARDS THAN WHAT IT IS TODAY!!!!

Raymond Farrugia

Nov 20th 2010, 23:33

Perhaps it would have made more sense to differentiate fares on a time basis. Fares before 7:30am and after 17:30pm for example could be cheaper.

monica muscat

Nov 20th 2010, 23:10

PLEASE EVERYONE! Hold your horses! The system is still some months away - and everyone has got on his Band Wagon. Can't we wait before we get at each others necks? For and Against - Comparisons - Wise cracks - Assumptions..... When are we going to grow up?
......Hope befoe next elections.....I do not fancy some unhappy situations.

smifsud

Nov 20th 2010, 21:42

this is bad publicity but then again any type of publicity is good for malta so we will see what happens ...@Mark Farrugia ...ur idea i support 100%....great suggestion and i hope that Arriva are reading these comments ...

Kieron O'connor

Nov 20th 2010, 21:33

Mr Marlow did not want to comment about the two tier price system and couldnt name a place in europe where it already exists.
Mr Marlow knows aswell as everyone else that this is outright discrimination and wont comment because he knows it will come back to bite him in the back side!
The arguement that the two tier price system benefits frequents users is completely false, the price structure shown has a two tier price for a single journey ticket! aswell as commuter tickets, which excludes other EU citizens. A person who purchases a single journey ticket is not a frequent user commuter.
It is common practice and common sense across the EU that there be discounted commuter tickets which are paid weekly or monthly to benefit commuters and available to all service users, what is unique is this two tiers discriminatory system proposed which has prices for foreigners and locals.
Who ever imagined that officially ripping off tourists on a new bus service to replace the old unofficial rip off pricing "system" needs to get there head checked.
There are many succesful models of public/private transport, it appears political interference in malta to buy votes is ruining this.

Chris Finch

Nov 20th 2010, 20:21

Can you not see what is going to happen? The EU will declare this illegal and the bus fares for residents will go up to match those of tourists, not the other way round.

That way Arriva and the government can say they wanted to do them at lower rates but the EU stopped them. Mhux its obvious. This is just a cheap trick to introduce much higher bus fares and pretend they are the good guys.

Janet Bayes

Nov 20th 2010, 20:19

Well, what a mess it all is before it even begins. Arriva don't even know if the two tier system is legal in the EU. Never mind eh? By the time a decision is taken on that the tourist industry will have taken a real bashing. There will be many complaints, and no one to deal with them. Strikes me the two tier system is discriminatory - - but that doesnt matter here. Everything is discriminatory if you are a foreign resident anyway - - even the ID card denotes you as an alien. It has taken us almost one year to obtain a resident certificate that was approved at the time of application, we cant get free drugs, and EVERYTHING we have to apply for has to be done in person in MALTA - - no matter you live in GOZO.Then you take your life in your hands and take the bus journey from hell - - complete with mobile phone using, smoking bus drivers that drive like they are in their own car. Love this place.

John Matthews

Nov 20th 2010, 18:48

Most of the people that have written to the Times are against a two tier fares system. I would like to point out that Arriva, here in the UK, are subsidised by my taxes. To those who consider that this proposal is fair, please don't forget that !!!!

Philip Hili

Nov 20th 2010, 18:38

It seems that none of the parties who are involved in the fares' structure ever visited London and made use of the public transport. Arriva is present in the British capital and therefore, Mr. Pierce Marlow should know. Millions of commuters, residents or not, French, Londoners, Spanish, German, Pakistanis, Indians and other nationalities make use of the public transport. The fares are the same for everybody and you have a first class service.

Tommy Lee

Nov 20th 2010, 18:13

Discrimination is discrimination is discrimination.

david calleja urry

Nov 20th 2010, 18:01

Yes Mr Marlow - very nice - perhaps you'd care to advise us exactly WHICH countries in the EU adopt this policy?.... i've been around most of the EU countries - frequently. I can not, honestly, hand on heart, recall being asked to produce my passport before buying a ticket - of whatever sort!!!
Additionally, this country depends heavily on tourists - will we ever learn that we need to nurture them not fleece them??
last point...if as a result of this, Maltese citizens are asked to pay more for transport abroad - will Mr Marlow & the tax subsidised Arriva reimburse us?...
honestly sometimes i despair....

Mark Farrugia

Nov 20th 2010, 17:55

Instead of differentiating between residents and non residents, why not propose long seasonal tickets for regular users of the bus system? Say a 6 month ticket will cost considerably less per day than that of a weekly ticket. Tourists cannot benefit of these long seasonal tickets due to their short visit in Malta. So locals will still benefit from cheaper bus rates than tourists in another way.

Ray Woods

Nov 20th 2010, 17:53

When willl Malta renege on reciprocal healthcare and taxation arrangements? That must be next.
What a bureaucratic nonsense.
Arriva know that it will be overturned and are biding their time.
In the meantime, another turn of the screw in the downward spiral of Maltese tourism - escalating prices post the euro, VAT and utility price rises (also discriminatory) Air Malta cancelling flights and teetering on the edge of insolvency,
This is toytown politics and not worthy of a Country that wants to remain in the EU.

J. Spiteri

Nov 20th 2010, 17:47

'....both sides believed that regular users - who invariably were residents - should be rewarded '. Sound reasoning indeed ! Can tourists or other short term visitors ever become regular users, even if they wanted to? Arriva Malta and Transport Malta should heed this newspaper's poll !

Phil Pryce

Nov 20th 2010, 17:13

The only viable way for the new system to operate is to use something like the London 'Oyster' card where you pre-pay and wave it at a sensor on the bus. Otherwise, not only do you have to wait for the driver to give you change, like now, but you would have to show your ID card to prove you are resident in Malta. It will make the service slow and cumbersome.

Joseph E Briffa

Nov 20th 2010, 16:58

This proposed two-tier fares structure seems to have upset a number of people. The locals seem to be fighting against their own interests for once; I am surprised at the altruism shown by a number of Maltese who usually put their interests first. Could it be that what prompts this attitude is the fear that the proposed structure might have a negative effect on the number of visitors to Malta? I am just wondering.

Joseph Galea

Nov 20th 2010, 16:46

"....it made sense in that both sides believed that regular users – who invariably were residents – should be rewarded."
The idea of 'rewarding' regular or more frequent users makes sense but to assume that these 'invariably were residents' is incorrect. A visitor who buys a weekly or a monthly pass is a more frequent user than a local who only uses the bus occasionally. Make single fares expensive - but reduce the cost of passes - the longer the period the pass is for, the cheaper the price!

Francesca Ellul

Nov 20th 2010, 16:37

Oh no... we're at it again. Please, will you people stop complaining about the new bus service and the new fares. They are more than reasonable.

You guys probably use a private car to go from Rabat to Mdina and will obviously never take a bus, not even if it's free of charge.

Maria Caruana

Nov 20th 2010, 16:28

I think tourists will be paying just the right amount for going round Malta during their holidays. The rest us of who reside in Malta all year round will be paying less due to the number of times we have to use public transport to get from location A to location B.

So in a way those who reside in Malta are making the system viable and affordable to tourists.

Chrissey Zammit

Nov 20th 2010, 16:12

VERY WELL SAID Darren J Galea. Outer Mongolia, Timbucktoo are a few places these people need to be sent. I have travelled the world and used public transport, and never have I come across this two tier system. Pierce Marlow (Arriva) need not worry, Number One he does NOT use public transport, Number 2, if ever he had too, he would have a free Travel Pass. The damage this anouncment have caused Malta is unbelievable. BUT let Malta Transport ? Arriva cry when their profits star to go down. We can ALL say " Told you so" But of course these big wigs never listen to their people.

Joe Dayney

Nov 20th 2010, 16:12

I totally agree with @A.Zahra ... the only way to implement such a 2 Tier system, without creating acrimony and questions of legality and fairness at the queue, is to implement a discounted Pass System ... which ANYONE could purchase, and by all practical means, would most likely be 99% purchased by "Residents". This is a LEGAL and THOUGHTFUL solution. It would also boost revenues, rather than a PAY-AS-YOU-GO system, and make entry / exit, much more efficient, using a bar code or magnetic stripe reader.

Robert aquilina

Nov 20th 2010, 16:04

This already happens with Gozo channel....Maltese pay more to use the same service the Gozitians do... there are plenty of reasons and excuses for the question WHY ? but i will not go there.

d. borg

Nov 20th 2010, 15:57

Can Mr Marlow please specify which countries adopted this system. I have been to several places in Europe and so far I have never been asked whether I'm a resident or a non-resident when using transport.

David Grimmett

Nov 20th 2010, 15:46

Shouldn't he have made himself and his Company aware if it is legal or not under EU law to differentiate on price of tickets? Does he also not realise that the discussion of price of tickets has already gone around the world, and probably caused untold damage to the tourist trade for Malta?

Darren J. Galea

Nov 20th 2010, 15:16

"Such a structure, he said, had been implemented elsewhere ...Mr Marlow was unable to immediately mention other places where such a fare structure exists, but said details could be given."

Allow me; Outer Mongolia? Timbucktoo? Cloud-Cuckoo Land? Definitely not in any country in the EU, mate!

Also, 74% of Maltese are AGAINST a two-tier fare system according to the times poll; or are you, like our "most noble" politicians, not in the habit of listening to the voice of the people?