As applications for the new bus card reached 15,000 in the three days since its launch, teething troubles have emerged in connection with foreigners living in Malta, tourists and the elderly.

Launched last Sunday, the so-called Tallinja card will from July allow commuters to benefit from fares that will be cheaper than buying their ticket aboard the bus. Registration is linked to the new ID card and driving licence systems, and applicants need to provide a Maltese address.

However, a technical hitch has been preventing foreign nationals with a residency permit from completing the online registration process. This has fuelled complaints that the new fare structure will once again discriminate against foreigners, since, as things stand, they will have to buy the more expensive onboard tickets.

Contacted by Times of Malta, a spokesman for Malta Public Transport Services acknowledged that there had been some problems but gave an assurance that the technical issues had been addressed.

In a statement this morning, Malta Public Transport Services said 5,000 registrations were from customers with a Kartanzjan. A considerable number of were from foreigners residing in Malta.

Read more on Times of Malta.