Nationalist Party Questions €5 Penalty For Not Using Free Public Transport

The Nationalist Party (PN) has criticised a new Malta Public Transport policy that allows €5 to be deducted from inactive personalised Tallinja Cards, arguing that the measure undermines efforts to encourage greater use of public transport.

Under the new terms and conditions, a personalised Tallinja Card that has not been used or topped up for 365 days may be classified as inactive.

If the card still holds a balance, €5 may be deducted following a notice period. The same charge may be applied again for every additional year that the card remains inactive.

Shadow Minister for Sustainable Mobility Ivan Castillo questioned the logic behind the measure, saying it was counterproductive to penalise people who had not used public transport for a period of time when the Government was investing in free bus travel to encourage more people to leave their cars at home.

The party argued that those who have stopped using their Tallinja Card are the very people who should be encouraged to return to public transport, rather than being faced with financial penalties.

The PN also compared the Maltese system with London's Oyster Card, noting that pay as you go credit remains available indefinitely, even if the card is not used for an extended period.

The Opposition called on the Government to intervene immediately and review the decision.

It also requested an explanation of who approved the charge, how many cardholders could be affected and how much revenue is expected to be generated through the deductions.

The PN said it made little sense to spend millions of euros promoting bus use while introducing charges that could discourage people from returning to the service, adding that a serious sustainable mobility policy should remove barriers rather than create new ones.

#MaltaDaily