A total of 1,900 people have so far registered for their new personalised electronic card for use on the buses starting in July.
Malta Public Transport gave the figure yesterday as the tallinja card was offered for the first time. It is intended to make paying the bus driver and waiting for change a thing of the past for commuters.
The tallinja card is similar to the Oyster card that has been in use in London for many years.
In Malta, it can be obtained for free against registration, allowing people to board the bus simply by swiping it through an electronic onboard reader.
The company expressed satisfaction at the response and encouraged more people to register for it online.
Unveiled over the weekend, the tallinja card can be topped up with credit through the internet, over the phone, at Malta Public Transport’s sales outlets or at any MaltaPost branch.
No time window applies, meaning that the credit will not expire.
And in a bid to phase out the sale of onboard tickets completely, those who do not make use of the card will pay a higher bus fare.
Those who do not make use of the card will have to pay a higher bus fare
Different cards and fares will be available for children agedfour to 10 years, students, adults, Kartanzjan holders, Blue Badge holders and Gozo residents.
Children under four will continue to travel for free.
Frequent tallinja card users will benefit from daily, weekly or monthly capping, as they will not pay any fees if they exceed a certain amount of usage.
Using the card, a single two-hour journey for adults will cost 75c including any bus interchanges but users will never get charged in excess of €26 per month. The same journey will cost children and the elderly 25c, but there will be a daily capping of 50c and a weekly capping of €2.
For students the monthly capping is set at €21 whereas Gozo residents benefit from a monthly €10 capping.
Tickets purchased on board the bus will cost €2 for a single journey in summer and €1.50 in winter, and €3 for night services.
Though registration for the card will be free for now, a fee may apply as from next year. Further information can be obtained by calling 2122 2000 or online at http://tallinja.com .