For various reasons, the number of elderly persons who will be using the Tallinja card can be expected to be proportionally high compared to the rest of the population.

Since most people will tend to be topping up their card with at least €10 at a time (my 80-year-old mother opted for a €20 top up), it has occurred to me that when these elderly people pass on to the next life they will invariably leave behind Tallinja cards with unused balances on them.

The figures involved would potentially amount to thousands of euros a year, excluding interest (especially given that the amounts are prepaid). I would therefore like to suggest that these amounts should be made refundable or, at least, transferable to another card, perhaps upon submission of a scanned death certificate.