The government has quietly increased the fare for single bus journeys to €2.50 when paid by cash or debit card
Quiet increase of single bus journey fare and Tallinja Card fee
From Monday, passengers who do not have a Tallinja card will have to pay 50 cents more than before when boarding a bus.
Neither the government nor Malta Public Transport have publicly announced the new fare which is set by the government.
The price increase has not been communicated on the bus company’s website or social media channels, but through stickers on buses.
Such sticker, announcing the increase “with effect from 22 January 2024”, can be seen in a photo uploaded to Facebook by Terry ta’ Bormla on Saturday.
It is understood that the new fare will not affect many people’s pockets, as the vast majority of bus users are Tallinja card holders, who travel for free.
Increased registration fee
The bus company also recently increased the registration fee for its Tallinja cards ‘Adult’, ‘Student’ and ‘Gozo’ from €15 to €25.
Since October 2022, Tallinja card holders can travel for free on all day and night routes, except for Tallinja Direct (TD) buses.
Free-of-charge Harbour ferry crossings from and to Valletta for Tallinja Card holders were introduced as recently as last Monday.
This article was updated at 11:00 to emphasize that bus fares are set and regulated by the government.
