The number of passengers on the Gozo ferries was up 5.1 per cent in the second quarter of this year compared to the same period last year.

The NSO said 1,268,551 passengers travelled between Malta and Gozo during the second quarter. The highest number of passengers was recorded in June - 431,117, or 34.0 per cent of the total for the quarter. The number of vehicles increased by 9.4 per cent, totalling 348,456.

The number of trips stood at 5,136, an increase of 6.5 per cent over the same period in 2014. This was partly due to an increase in the mid-season and summer scheduled trips operated by the Gozo Channel.The majority of trips took place in June - 1,772 or 34.5 per cent of total trips for the quarter.

January-June

During the first six months, traffic originating from Ċirkewwa was busiest on Friday and Saturday. On the other hand, from Mġarr the highest demand was recorded during Sunday and Monday