People were still queuing to register for their Tallinja card in Valletta yesterday but the numbers were drastically down on Wednesday and there was a clear semblance of order.

However, several people told Times of Malta they were avoiding using buses following the chaos on the day the bus cards started to be used, with malfunctioning card and machines causing delays and buses failing to keep to their schedules.

“I used my car today. I will register for the card next week, when things are calmer, for now I will wait,” said one commuter.

Malta Public Transport said that in 24 hours on Wednesday it had processed an unprecedented 7,500 bus card registrations.

Whereas yesterday people were spending some two hours, today the waiting time is only 25 minutes

The bus company yesterday set up an extra registration booth in the square in front of the Phoenicia hotel. The booth at the bus terminus was equipped with ropes and railings to encourage an orderly queue and commuters told this newspaper that waiting time was between half an hour and an hour – a drastic reduction on Wednesday’s three-hour wait.

MPT staff wearing ‘Ask me for help’ T-shirts were milling around and Malta Transport Authority officials were also on the spot giving a helping hand.

Transport Minister Joe Mizzi himself joined the crowd and spent an hour at the terminus in Valletta. He said that on the day of the chaos, he was in his office “controlling everything”.

“Also I was receiving a lot of SMSs and I was contacting people personally to check on developments and to check what people were feeling.”

One of the new buses arriving from Turkey yesterday. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi

He told Times of Malta that he was “concerned” and “totally unhappy”, and that he “sympathised with people” about the situation on Wednesday.

“But action started being taken immediately and today it results that there is an improvement even when it comes to waiting times. Whereas yesterday people were spending some two hours, today the waiting time is only 25 minutes.”

Although he would not comment on whether he felt the operators were prepared for the launch of the Tallinja card, “I have to see to it that things improve... the teething problems with the machines have been overcome.”

Compared to Arriva four years ago, which had started off with a government subsidy of €6 million which went up to €10, the new bus operator Autobus de Leon receives a subsidy of about €29 million per year.

Seeing as they are heavily subsidised by the government, did the minister feel that Wednesday’s card launch flop was acceptable?

“We have to look at the subsidy. For this, they [Arriva] asked us for €40 million [subsidy]. Today they [Autobus de Leon] are getting [a subsidy of] €29 million.”

Minister Mizzi argued that the new operators were costing the government much less than Arriva. “But for this we have to make sure that they are giving back what we agreed on and that is what we are insisting on... and that is what they will have to do.”

However, till yesterday evening Times of Malta readers were still sending in feedback about problems they faced with their cards. Some said that the machines on the buses were not working while others complained that they still had not received their card despite applying for it more than a month ago.

Drivers were instructed not to charge passengers whose cards were not working, however commuters were frustrated. “I topped the card up with €30 and it was still rejected by the bus machine. I got a ‘Problem with card receipt’ instead”.

I topped the card up with €30 and it was still rejected by the bus machine. I got a ‘Problem with card receipt’ instead

One woman complained on social media that topping up her bus card had exhausted all her mobile credit – because she had to make a multitude of phone calls to get through.

Some commuters also told this newspaper that in two days they had been on buses that developed engine problems and stopped working.

“We had to wait for another bus to pick us up each time,” one of them said.

Meanwhile, 40 new buses were dispatched from Turkey yesterday and joined the fleet at the extended terminus in St James ditch. They will start operating today, in an attempt to curb problems with overcrowded buses.