Four organisations have come out against plans to remove free public transport for third-country nationals, describing the proposal as “unjust and counterproductive”.Moviment Graffitti, Rota, Friends of the Earth Malta and Solidarjetà said the measure would create a two-tier public transport system and amount to unequal treatment of foreign workers.They argued that many third-country nationals are among the lowest-income and most socially marginalised residents in Malta, while also contributing through taxes, rent and work across several sectors.The organisations said there is a clear difference between tourists visiting Malta temporarily and residents who have lived, worked or studied here for years.They also argued that charging third-country nationals would do nothing to address existing problems with the public transport system, including overcrowding, reliability and frequency.“Third-country nationals who depend on buses to get to work and go about their daily lives will still need to use them, whether the service is free or not,” they said.The groups called on the government to explain the reasoning behind the distinction and reconsider the proposal, saying public transport policy should focus on improving the service for everyone rather than treating residents differently based on nationality.•