Some bus drivers continue to charge higher fares to holders of new e-residence cards or those who have a receipt as they will be receiving one soon.

The Department of Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs is in the process of replacing non-Maltese ID cards with the e-residence document and, earlier this month, an Arriva spokesman said the operator accepted any documents issued by the Government that were legally considered as proof of residence.

Yet, non-Maltese residents supplied with a receipt as a temporary substitution for their e-residence cards or have e-residence documents say that is not the case.

A commuter who boarded the bus in Msida on Tuesday said he was not allowed to pay a discounted fare even though he produced a valid new ID (e-residence) document.

In a letter sent to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the Department of Citizenship and Expatriate Affairs, Arriva and The Times, the commuter said he obtained the new ID document on March 5, before which he held a regular Maltese ID card and a residence permit.

“It seems like the driver was not aware of the new ID cards. This is dreadful. He treated me as if I was lying...” the commuter said.

The commuter noted that it had already been a nightmare to obtain the new ID and now he had to “fight with drivers”.

Questions sent to Arriva remained unanswered.

Irish expat Oisin Jones-Dillon confirmed that non-Maltese people were still having trouble with the ID receipt.

“Many out there have a receipt that is not being recognised. There was a case where even the VAT Department refused to recognise the temporary receipt... and there are other places where this will happen because you’re asked for an ID card wherever you go in Malta,” he said.