Bus fares structure after EU complaint ...

:)love the last line of your post Mat....made my day start well TNX

i agree with you, really some time i can't handle it
may be because i used to have my won car back home, but really here specially when the driver allow all riders and becomes a crowded bus and specially in Sliema

Frankly, the worst of Malta is the bus system. Drivers don't have change for a 20 € note, (better not to talk about a 50 € note!) they speed up like mad, and you have to tell them in person that you want to get down. If you just click the button and expect they will stop and give you the opportunity of getting out, you're very wrong and you'll end up two or three stops later.

I haven't experienced the old buses, but from what I've read, at least they were cheap. I mean, if it is bad, at least if it is cheap it doesn't seem so bad.

Since I boughta car, I'm better. But I wanted to take the bus after a long walk Sunday. When I got on the bus, I asked if he stopped at paceville and I asked one way ticket. The rate was not correct since I'm resident. I asked the discount ticket, repeated several times. Then I showed my ID and he groaned something in Maltese maybe insults. He said why I didn't show my ID?because he didn't ask me.
Discrimination is based on appearance. The stupidity is to apply discount for day tickets according to residency. As drivers don't have time to manage the circus, they differentiate people according to their physics. That's why for me, it is different from the other European countries. That's why the system is discriminatory and I hope Malta will lose.

john2011 wrote:

That's why the system is discriminatory and I hope Malta will lose.

What I don't understand is why the government keeps claiming it isn't discriminatory when clearly it is. It may or may not be legal,but its clearly differentiating between one group of people and another.

georgeingozo wrote:

john2011 wrote:

That's why the system is discriminatory and I hope Malta will lose.

What I don't understand is why the government keeps claiming it isn't discriminatory when clearly it is. It may or may not be legal,but its clearly differentiating between one group of people and another.

bejesus I am agreeing with you again....problem is as has been said the drivers are sure to get peed off with it as they shouldnt be in a position to have to adjudge a persons residential status...and again it is quite evident that if you look speak or dress malti you are never ever esked for id...but anything else you will be asked (this needs to be addressed by Arrive as it is also clear they say they expect everyones id to be checked - but its not happening). Its sad and disheartening that in some instances people come across this abusive behaviour - racism by another name) the only answer take the buses number, note the route and time and report it. this is unacceptable.

Just a thought but should the buses display a sign saying 'all ID must be shown' and if not then you'll be charged a full fare

cant say i ve seen one....just a list of fares... but Arriva are always insistent - certainly in the media - that all id must be requested and shown...however they gave themselves a "get out of jail free card" by saying that at busy times and to get people on board quickly id isnt asked for.....!!!!!!!

Controversially, I agree/have no problem with the tiered charging scheme. When was the last time anyone checked bus fare charges before taking a holiday and let that affect their decision to travel to any country?
The Maltese are low paid in most cases and if it helps them and the aged out by subsidising their fares what's the problem?
I do not expect anyone to agree with me however, a statement of how much subsidy versus profit would be useful. Can't see that happening though. Another thought, maybe the Govt are playing behind a smoke screen and want to increase fares but that being unpopular would lose votes, so if the EU enforces it, the Govt can blame the EU.

day to day bus fares should never be based on whether you live in a place or not.. however I would agree that if "locals" need to commute everyday for work or whatever they should be able to avail themselves of lower rates through say monthly, 3-monthly or 6 monthly fares maybe even yearly ( a sort of hidden rebate / discount if you like)- but i think that may not be anywhere near the psyche of the maltese.... but it would make a lot more sense than the current situation in alienating the very people who this island needs for income.

Rocking Ken wrote:

Just a thought but should the buses display a sign saying 'all ID must be shown' and if not then you'll be charged a full fare

The point it not in displaying the sign (or anything else).
What all expats should understand - the driver is not inspector. He is not in a position to check your ID cards, tickets etc.

What you can do is to buy the ticket from the ticket machine and be ready to show the ID card for inspector (ticket collector). That's all! Nobody can stop you in the first door and ask something except of the ticket (even ticket - it's your responsibility to have it, but not your obligation to show it to the driver).

Spiridonov wrote:

Rocking Ken wrote:

Just a thought but should the buses display a sign saying 'all ID must be shown' and if not then you'll be charged a full fare

The point it not in displaying the sign (or anything else).
What all expats should understand - the driver is not inspector. He is not in a position to check your ID cards, tickets etc.

What you can do is to buy the ticket from the ticket machine and be ready to show the ID card for inspector (ticket collector). That's all! Nobody can stop you in the first door and ask something except of the ticket (even ticket - it's your responsibility to have it, but not your obligation to show it to the driver).

I can assure you that on " one man operated buses" the driver is responsable for checking and issueing ticket. The inspectors job is random checks on both driver and passenger.

Terry

Officially - no. I was fighting with them. The driver said "Ok, I cannot reject your entry in the bus with discount ticket, but you will pay the penalty if the inspector ask you about the ID card"

So the driver cannot check ID - it's not his responsibility.

And for bendy buses - they have second doors opened for the entry - who will check your tickets?

Spiridonov wrote:

Officially - no. I was fighting with them. The driver said "Ok, I cannot reject your entry in the bus with discount ticket, but you will pay the penalty if the inspector ask you about the ID card"

So the driver cannot check ID - it's not his responsibility.

And for bendy buses - they have second doors opened for the entry - who will check your tickets?

So, are you trying the cheat the system?

actually (so i am told and has been reported in the press) they have stopped opening the centre doors on bendys...as a matter of safety and illegal unpaid entry to the bus....... and according to arriva (again reported in the press) the driver is expected to inspect the id documents of ALL who enter the bus and ensure they pay the correct fare.

redmik wrote:

Spiridonov wrote:

Officially - no. I was fighting with them. The driver said "Ok, I cannot reject your entry in the bus with discount ticket, but you will pay the penalty if the inspector ask you about the ID card"

So the driver cannot check ID - it's not his responsibility.

And for bendy buses - they have second doors opened for the entry - who will check your tickets?

So, are you trying the cheat the system?

No, I have the ID card. But I don't like the system when I need to show it every time I enter the bus. So I prefer to buy the ticket in the machine before and just show the ticket without any explanation. No objections from the drivers so

clearly there is an assumption that if you have a ticket then you have either passed the id inspection on purchase either at the machine or at the first part of the journey on boarding the bus..... - but will still be open to ID scrutiny by the inspectors if they board the bus

toonarmy9752 wrote:

clearly there is an assumption that if you have a ticket then you have either passed the id inspection on purchase either at the machine or at the first part of the journey on boarding the bus..... - but will still be open to ID scrutiny by the inspectors if they board the bus

Yep, I have no objections to show an ID to the official inspectors from time to time.

What I am worrying about now - strictly speaking, it's not obvious from Arriva rules, that TCN can proceed with the discount bus fare after 01/04/2013. Old Maltese ID card ("A") is not in force any more, new e-residence is not obtained yet and even after the application: Arriva said "Long-term residence permit" only in the rules.

So it looks again like the same discrimination rules as in ARMS - first 5 years in Malta we should pay for the higher tariffs.

It's funny, but in my case, the first time I arrived to Malta I was given a discounted ticket and I wasn't a resident! I don't know if the driver just mistaked us for residents or simply he didn't bother or wasn't happy with their bosses in Arriva. I thought "it is quite cheap here the transport" and later I discovered that the normal rates for non-residents are quite higher.

Han anyone had any issues now that the ID cards are being collected when applying for the new residence card?

I got around that hassle on the day I had my appointment, I went to the Arriva Kiosk and got the "saver card" then went to castille and turned in my ID.  From now on I just pay the ticket machines and never have to show the driver my ID card.