Malta has had interesting ups and downs with the public transport system in the last few years. When the Arriva group reformed the public transport in Malta in 2011 the opinions of the Maltese were mixed. Especially the bus drivers were not happy about the changes, and they would have preferred keeping the old system in which the driver owned the bus. This very chaotic system was restructured by Arriva who introduced a network of regular routes and proper timetables. Unfortunately, the company was not really prepared for the condition of the roads, the amount of tourists on the islands in the summer and the blistering heat. The imported bendy buses from the UK became a hazard, as they were not made for such harsh conditions. Eventually the bendy buses were banned and removed from Malta.
Arriva first introduced 2 tariffs. One for locals with a Maltese ID card and one for everyone else, i.e. the tourists and visitors. This unequal tariff immediately sparked a lot of controversy and was criticised by the European commission, who is against discriminatory treatment. They said everyone has to be treated the same in Europe, and it should not be allowed that Maltese residents will get a cheaper tariff than everyone else. The tariffs were then adjusted 2 years later, and the same rate applied to everyone. However, Arriva was bought out by the government and left Malta. The government then looked for a new company to take over the public transport, but it took a very long time. Eventually, Autobuses De Leon (Alesa) took over.
The company is adding new buses to the fleet and wants to improve the system that was previously not able to cope with the amount of tourists visiting Malta. While doing this, they also introduced a new system for ticket payments, as they want to minimise the time it takes for people to purchase tickets in the buses and subsequently make the ride faster, as the buses will not have to be at the bus stops for very long.
The new system is similar to that of the Oyster Card used in London. The so-called Tallinja Card is a prepaid card that allows people to pay by touching in at the bus. Each bus ride will then cost 75c, up to a maximum of €26 per month. Fare reductions for the elderly and students are available. Everyone else will have to pay on board the bus, and a single ride will cost €2 for 2 hours in Summer and €1.50 in Winter, as well as €3 at night. From July 1, it will also be possible to acquire the Tallinja card over-the-counter, which is especially important for tourists visiting Malta. There are different cards available offering different tariffs. You can find more information about the Tallinja Card here.
