A total 1,900 people have registered for their new personalised tallinja card, launched today, Malta Public Transport said.
The company expressed its satisfaction with the response and encouraged more people to register online.
Registration is free this year.
The company announced the new bus card called tallinja card, which can start being used as of July 2015, this morning.
The card will entitle holders to reduced bus fares, and will make it easy to use the bus without the need to buy tickets. It is an intelligent card and will be personalised with the holder’s photo and name and can be topped up with credit online, over the phone, at one of Malta Public Transport’s sales outlets or at any MaltaPost post office. The credit on the card will not expire.
Different cards and fares are available for children aged between four and 10 years, students, adults, Kartanzjan/Maltese 60+ Identity Card holders, Blue Badge holders and Gozo residents. Children under four will continue to travel for free and will not need to present any card.
The tallinja card system allows holders to automatically benefit from daily, weekly or monthly capping depending on the card, but one still needs to touch the reader on the bus with the tallinja card every time they board the bus. The system is designed in such a way that once the customers reach a certain amount of journeys, they will not pay for any more journeys in that same day, week or month. The more customers travel, the more they will save.
Children aged between 4 and 10, together with Kartanzjan Holders (or 60+ Maltese Identity Card holders) and Blue Badge holders will be charged a reduced fare of 25c for every Single Journey of up to two hours, including bus interchanges. However they will never be charged more than 50c in a day or €2 in a week. This is automatic so there is no need to buy any tickets as long as there is credit available on their card. In the case of Children or Kartanzjan Holders, they can top up €2 every week and enjoy unlimited travel on all buses in Malta and Gozo.
Adults will benefit from a reduced fare of 75c for every single journey of up to two hours, including bus interchanges. However, they will never be charged more than €26 in any month. In the case of student card holders, the system will stop charging automatically at €21 every month, whereas in the case of Gozo residents travelling in Gozo only, the automatic capping for a month is set at €10.
Malta Public Transport also explained that the price of tickets bought on board the buses will go up as of July 2015. In fact, the only ticket that will be able to be bought on board the bus will be a single journey of up to two hours at €2.00 in summer or €1.50 in winter for day services, or €3.00 for night services. This is irrespective of whether the passenger is an adult, a child, a Kartanzjan holder and so on.
The exact date in July when this change will take place will be announced at a later stage to ensure that there is sufficient time for people to register and collect their tallinja card. It is therefore very important for bus users to register for their free tallinja card before July to benefit from lower bus fares. Registrations will remain open even after July, however a registration fee may apply from 2016.
Registration
People can register for their card now, free of charge either online at www.tallinja.com or by calling on 2122 2000. Applicants will be advised when their card is ready to be collected from their Local Council as of June.
Applicants will need to have their Maltese identity card or driving licence available to register online at tallinja.com or by calling 2122 2000. One may also visit any of our kiosks at the Valletta Bus Terminal, Bugibba Bus Terminal, Mater Dei Hospital Reception, University, Malta International Airport and Victoria Bus Terminal.