How does Arriva suggest that bus drivers or ticket sales persons decide who is a resident of Malta and the best way of going about this?

Arriva state that residents must present their ID cards to enjoy reduced fares. However, this is simply not the case in practice. I have not seen any residents produce their ID card on purchase of a ticket to prove their residency, yet I have often been asked to present my Maltese ID card based solely on my British accent. If, for any reason, I cannot, I am charged considerably more, even though I am indeed a resident of Malta. I have also witnessed this many times for people who ‘look as if’ they may be tourists.

Before any changes are implemented, do Arriva ask their employees and sales persons to require Maltese ID cards on every transaction or will they continue to base their apparent decision on accent and/or appearance, to the dissatisfaction of their customers?

It is no wonder tourists and foreign residents are complaining about discrimination. Arriva need to address this issue independently of the current fare structure.

I can only imagine the chaos this would cause if implemented in this manner in an ethnically diverse city like London!

The easiest solution would be to adopt London’s Oyster Card system. Everyone, irrelevant of residency, can purchase a week, month, three months, or yearly electronic ticket at a reduced cost while transport companies continue to charge a standard fare (either on board or at sales points) for one day or ‘short hop’ travel.

This would help residents and non-residents alike, removes the rather awkward situation for the bus driver and really is not that difficult to have considered in the first place.

Such a system is implemented throughout the UK, saves money and does not discriminate.