Bus users being asked for refunds due to a top-up fault

Bus users who make use of the Tallinja card have been receiving e-mails from Malta Public Transport (MPT) asking them for refunds because of top-ups that were “erroneously effected” to their account. According to the e-mails sent by MPT, which is responsible for Malta’s bus system, the top-ups were a result of a “technical fault”. The e-mails also state that the top-ups will be reversed and warn users they might end up with “a negative balance” and that they “will not be able to travel”. The e-mail sent to Tallinja card users. But when contacted, a spokesperson for MPT said the company flags issues “as part of ongoing reconciliation procedures”. “There are instances where transactions need to be checked with customers and, in certain cases, there may be refunds due to or from customers,” the spokesperson said. The company said it administers over 300,000 Tallinja cards. The cards were first rolled out in July 2015 in a bid to encourage more people to use public transport by making it easier to use buses without the need to buy tickets. The spokesperson did not say how many people were being asked to pay MPT back. Questions on whether the issue stemmed from a flaw in the...