The tallinja bus card has over had  subscriptions, which means that in less than half a year, more than half the population acquired one, Malta Public Transport said today.

“The take-up of the card has been quite remarkable, when considering that before July of last year almost all passengers purchased a ticket to travel on board a bus. No other country in Europe boasts of having half the population choosing to use a travel card especially in such a short time” MPT Commercial Director Daniel Grech said.

“Public transport accessibility is about people’s ability to move around; it is about enabling access, empowering people and ensuring they are not dependent on third parties for their mobility. Our tallinja cards together with other initiatives and investments taken by the company ensure everyone can travel around the island. We are now also guaranteeing dispatch by registered post of any new cards within two weeks”, said Grech.

MPT said more than 75% of people older than 60 years are holders of the bus card. This percentage increases by age.  

It said the number of cards replaced as a result of faults developed by the card itself was minimal.

"This new system will also allow the company to study travel patterns and flows, which will be essential in future route design and planning," MPT added.