Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Ian Borg and Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri presided over the launch of new bike sharing service stations in Gozo by Malta Public Transport, another step towards more intermodality.
This service, named Tallinja Bike, offers a bike sharing system which operates to and from a network of dedicated stations. After a one-time registration process, users can pick up a bicycle at any of the docking stations and drop it off at any other closest to their destination.
Minister Ian Borg praised this initiative and further said that this is one example which shows Malta Public Transport’s commitment towards intermodality, a concept which the government is working hard to push forward.
“This is a government with a holistic vision, committed to lead the country towards cleaner air with less emissions, greener lungs and offering different forms of alternative transport. We will be providing more efficiency as well as flexibility to the public through the different choice of modes of transport. In this way, we will be showing that there are different modes of transport apart from only the private car and, moreover, we will have the facility where we can switch from one means of transport to another according to our needs,” said Minister Ian Borg.
These new stations were installed in prime areas at the ferry terminal in Mġarr and the bus terminus in Victoria. The company plans to expand the service on the island with new stations in other localities in the coming months.
Minister Clint Camilleri said that the system is convenient and emission-free and ideal for short journeys and, thanks to the electric motor, the bikes can go up the hills with ease. He explained that Gozo is an ideal place for this type of transport, as the distance between one locality and another is short.
He added that many of the services that used to stop in Ċirkewwa are now being extended to Gozo, and further reminded how a few weeks ago the X300 service started operating. He stated that we must continue to promote alternative modes of transport and implement the agenda of this government to make our country carbon neutral. Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri concluded by saying that he looks forward to more cooperation and work with Minister Ian Borg.
This bike sharing service involves no registration fees or monthly subscriptions, and the standard pay-per-use rate is €3 for the first half an hour and €2 every 30 minutes thereafter. Holders of the personalised Tallinja Card and the Explore Card benefit from a special rate of €1.50 for the first half hour, while users paying through their Valletta Card or ExplorePlus Meep Card enjoy two free trips. The payment method is selected during registration at any of the stations.
Mobility Services Manager at Tallinja Technology Ltd. Alan Azzopardi said, “After rolling out the first eight stations in Malta, the next most obvious choice for us was to launch this in Gozo. With two stations in strategic locations such as Mġarr and Victoria, we have automatically linked the centre of Gozo to the ferry. Riders can now not only explore the island of Gozo very comfortably in a clean and sustainable manner on an electric bicycle, but also commute to and from the ferry.”
First introduced in 2018, Tallinja Bike stations are located at strategic points around Valletta, the Floriana Park & Ride, Pembroke Park & Ride, the University of Malta, and are now in Gozo. It is also worth mentioning that, prior to the pandemic, registered Tallinja Bike users had increased, generating an average 25 unique trips every day.
Photo: MTIP/MGOZ
