Customers can apply for a refund or donate their credit to Puttinu Cares Foundation

Malta Public Transport has launched a facility to allow Tallinja card holders to apply for a refund for any residual credit on their cards, while also providing card holders the option to donate the credit on their Tallinja Card to Puttinu Cares Foundation. The refund process will be introduced in a staggered approach, starting with the Gozo cards this month.

Following the introduction of free public transport for all Tallinja Card holders, customers can still top up their Tallinja Cards to pay for Tallinja Direct services, Tallinja On Demand, as well as Valletta Ferry Services and the Upper Barrakka lift. During this year, customers will be able to use their Tallinja Card on more services, as they become available. The credit on Tallinja cards does not expire.

Since some customers may have topped up their Tallinja Cards prior to the announcement of the introduction of free public transport, the company is offering its customers the facility to apply for a refund for any residual credit. In order to provide a secure service, customers are required to verify their identity through an authentication process which is being made available online only. Therefore, customers are invited to visit publictransport.com.mt to apply for a refund or make a donation to Puttinu Cares Foundation.

Customers are reminded that top-up processing fees would have already been incurred by the company and further bank and administration charges will be incurred by the company to process these refunds. During this year the company is offering a 50% discount on the administration fee to process these refunds, which means that the customer will be charged an administration fee of €5 if they apply for a refund before 31 December instead of the usual fee of €10.

Customers whose credit on their Tallinja Card amounts to less than €5 are able to spend this credit on any of the other mobility services available or donate it to Puttinu Cares Foundation. For clarity, all Tallinja card customers will be able to donate all their Tallinja Card credit, irrespective of the amount on their card. All donations made to Puttinu Cares Foundation will be made in full, without any deductions from the credit on the Tallinja card. All bank charges related to donations will be borne by Malta Public Transport as a gesture of solidarity towards the noble work being carried out by the Puttinu Cares Foundation.

Customers can request their refund or donate their credit to Puttinu Cares Foundation based on the below schedule that staggers the customers based on card type:

• From April onwards: Gozo

cards

• From May onwards: Child and concession cards

• From June onwards: Adult and student cards

Puttinu Cares Foundation is a local charitable organisation that offers support to patients undergoing treatment for cancer and other serious ailments, as well as their families. Established in 2002, Puttinu Cares Foundation assists between 60 to 90 patients who are having treatment in one of 30 different hospitals in the UK every month.