PN questions €5 penalty for unused Tallinja Cards

The Nationalist Party has called on the government to intervene after Malta Public Transport (MPT) introduced a new inactivity fee for personalised Tallinja Cards that have not been used for a year.

"A serious sustainable mobility policy should remove barriers to the use of public transport, not create new ones where none existed," Castillo said.

His comments follow an email sent to customers by Tallinja, in which MPT confirmed that its Terms and Conditions had been updated and reorganised into a clearer, question-and-answer format.

The government funds free public transport to reduce reliance on private cars and encourage more people to choose the bus.

Under the new terms, a personalised card not used or topped up for 365 consecutive days may be considered inactive. Where the card holds a positive balance, MPT said it would attempt to notify the customer by email before deducting the €5 fee, which may be applied each year again the card remains inactive.

However, Castillo argued the measure runs counter to the logic of encouraging public transport use, noting that those who have not used their card in a year are precisely the people the Government should be trying to win back.

He pointed to London's Oyster Card as a contrasting example, noting that the pay-as-you-go credit on that card does not expire, even when unused for long periods.

Castillo has called on the government to review the decision immediately and explain who approved the fee, how many cardholders could be affected, and how much revenue it expects to collect as a result.

MPT said customers who regularly use or top up their cards would not be affected and encouraged the public to read the full updated terms on its website.