Updated 4.25pm - Added MPT statement

Commuters using the ferry to cross between Cottonera, Valletta and Sliema can now pay for their ticket using their tallinja transport card. 

Until today, the tallinja card was reserved for public bus trips, with ferry trips requiring a separate ticket. 

Transport Minister Ian Borg announced that the two ticketing systems would be merged as of today at a press conference held in Valletta this morning. 

The simplified system will allow commuters to better budget their transport costs and save tallinja users money, since they will receive a 20c discount on ferry tickets, Dr Borg said. 

Adult passengers with a tallinja card will pay €1.30 instead of €1.50, while passengers with a disability or senior citizens' card will be charged 45c instead of 50c. tallinja card holders will also get a 10c discount when buying a night ferry ticket.

The route 133 bus which circumnavigates the capital city will now also connect ferry quays at Lascaris and Marsamxett, making it easier for commuters to access different parts of Valletta or Malta Public Transport's central bus terminus. 

Tallinja cards were introduced in 2015 and by March 2016 more than one in every two locals had applied for one. Users can top up their card with prepaid credit, with users paying a maximum of €26 a month in credit and any further trips being free of charge. 

Valletta Ferry Services currently offer boat crossings between the Three Cities and Valletta, and Valletta and Sliema. The government has previously said that it is keen to expand ferry transportation to other localities in the country. 

Last year, an estimated one million passengers made use of ferry services, with some 600,000 having bought a ferry ticket during the first six months of 2017. 

For more information about the new service, visit publictransport.com.mt/vallettaferry.