Public transport operator Arriva yesterday reviewed the day tariffs for the park-and-ride service after the Labour party flagged the high prices commuters had to pay if they got back to the car park after 7 p.m.

Anġlu Farrugia, the party’s deputy leader, said people who arrived after 7 p.m., the time most shops closed, were faced with an additional €6 charged over the normal €3.75, adding up to a whopping €9.75 bill.

The new tariffs were implemented on September 12.

The company reacted soon after.

“We were mindful from an early stage that we would continue to monitor and review Park & Ride usage given that not all commuters had returned to work when we started service,” a spokesman for Arriva said.

“In order to reflect the work patterns that have since occurred we have made some changes to accommodate early starts and late finishes so the day tariff with immediate effect will stand between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., with the agreement of the client body, Transport Malta,” the company said in a statement.

The spokesman said that additional signage was also being installed.

Dr Farrugia had complained that the new park-and-ride tariffs would result in a loss of trade in Valletta and, eventually, jobs.

The Transport Ministry pointed out that people using the Park and Ride to take the bus to Valletta had the option of buying a weekly ticket costing €10 (bus fare included), so they would not be paying the additional rate.