Malta makes most public transport free

Malta has become the latest European country to offer free public transport after it cut fares on most bus routes.

From 1 October, bus services were made free for all age groups – with the exception of three express lines and on-demand routes.

Users will still need to use a Tallinja smartcard – which is similar to London’s Oystercard – and ‘tap in’ when boarding so that “the bus operator and the authorities [can] keep track of passenger numbers for planning purposes”.

Tallinja Card

Passengers without the Tallinja card will still have to pay fares.

To obtain the card, travellers must register online, and pay a €15 (US$14.75) registration fee and postage charges, meaning it may not be suitable for tourists or those staying short term on the Mediterranean island.

Malta Public Transport says inspectors will be carrying out random checks to verify that passengers have either tapped their Tallinja Card or are in possession of paid-for tickets, and those without either face a €50 fine if caught.

The transport operator expects the free fare initiative to boost the number of trips and return ridership to pre-pandemic levels.

“We are expecting that the measure will see an increase in the number of passenger trips, and by year-end will be very close to those of 2019 which was a record year in relation to patronage,” a spokesperson for Malta Public Transport told local news outlet MaltaToday.

Growing trend

Several European countries – including Spain and Germany – have introduced free or heavily discounted public transport since the pandemic.

Reasons behind the schemes include getting ridership back to pre-pandemic levels, reducing car use, and helping ease the burden of cost-of-living increases.

But even prior to COVID-19, countries and cities including Luxembourg and the Estonian capital Tallinn had introduced free transit schemes,

Image: Sergei Tikhomirov (Flickr)