The University Students' Council (KSU) and Malta Public Transport have set up a €10,000 transport fund to encourage students to use the buses rather than private cars.

The fund will be used for discounts for students who give up their parking permit or do not apply for one.

KSU President Becky Micallef and Malta Public Transport General Manager Konrad Pule' announced the fund.

“We are setting high standards to reduce environmental impact and to create an environment which is healthier, more efficient, and less polluted. Such sponsorships not only help users directly, but help institutions like the university deal with traffic congestion and promote an environmentally friendly mode of transport,” Mr Pule said.

This year, the fund consists of a 50% discount applicable on three months of travel. The maximum a student can be charged on a tallinja card in a month is €21.

All those students who return their KSU parking permit or do not hold a KSU parking permit and who agree to forfeit their right to apply for one until June 2016, will be given a 50% discount on this amount - for three months.

Malta Public transport will be topping up the tallinja card of each student who makes use of this fund, with €10.50 every month for three months.

This is a pledge towards the greater culture shift which KSU has been pushing for in recent years. Benefiting from this fund is simple. As of today, Monday 7th March 2016, students, who would have already applied for a tallinja card, can simply apply through the KSU website. Only when the permit has been forfeited will students' details be forwarded for processing.