Mater Dei hospital employees who catch the bus to work can apply to receive up to €240 in the form of a public transport credit, the hospital announced today.

Employees will get the credit when they give up their hospital parking permit. Those who sign up will receive a €20 credit on their tallinja card at the beginning of each month for the duration of one year, meaning they will only pay a maximum of €6 a month. 

MPT general manager Konrad Pule and Mater Dei CEO Ivan Falzon.

The offer is open to 100 employees, with 34 having already taken it up. If employees do not fill up the remaining places, the hospital intends to make the transport credit available to relatives of patients hospitalised for a minimum of two weeks. 

Mater Dei CEO Ivan Falzon said commuting to hospital by bus made sense. “It’s cost effective and convenient," he said, adding that the collaboration with Malta Public Transport was "good news for our employees, our hospital and above all the environment.”

The initiative follows a similar initiative MPT has in place with the University students' council, through which students can benefit from half-price bus tickets. 

“Following the success of the KSU Transport Fund, which saw many students opting for public transport instead of private cars, we would like to continue supporting initiatives that promote a shift in culture towards a healthier environment,” MPT general manager Konrad Pulé said.