21,000 people register for Tal-Linja card since Sunday

During a press briefing held earlier today, commercial director of Malta Public Transport Daniel Grech said that some 21,000 people had registered for the Tal-Linja card launched on Sunday so far. He explained that 8,000 of those registered were elderly citizens and that the campaign had had a very good response so far.

“The Tal-Linja Card is an intelligent card modeled on mobile credit cards. The use of the card will come into force in July and registration of the card will remain open beyond that,” Grech said.

Grech explained that those registered would be notified via e-mail or SMS  towards June, when their card was ready to be picked up from their local council.

“The newest aspect of this card is the idea of capping whereby users will have a limit on the amount they pay,” he said explaining that users would be charged accordingly for each trip but that there was a limit beyond which trips would become free.

Using the example of the elderly blue card, Grech said that users of this card would have a limit of 50c a day at the cost of 25c per trip, whereas adults using the green card would have a monthly limit €26 per month.

Grech explained that the benefits of the new card system included convenience to customers, speeding up of boarding time, customers waiting less on the bus, and drivers in other vehicles spending less time waiting for buses to move on from their stops.

“The registration was also simplified very effectively,” Grech said. “Customers can log in online or call a call centre and give them their ID cards or drivers’ license to speed up the process and reduce the hassle of such processes.”

Grech added that of the 21,000 applicants, 85% had opted for this simplofoed system.

“We have also opened up new centres  at Mater Dei, Mgarr Gozo and at the University of Malta Student House, where people can leave their ID’s aside from the already existing centres in Sliema, Valletta and Bugibba.”

Grech also stressed that under the new tariffs there would be no distinction between foreigners and Maltese users, but that further details on how foreigners can effectively apply for the cards will be supplied towards July.