We test the new Gozo fast ferry from Sliema, and nearly miss the boat

Commuters and tourists now have another way to travel between the islands, - a new fast ferry service linking Sliema, Buġibba, and Mġarr began operating on Tuesday.

The service, inaugurated by Prime Minister Robert Abela in the second week of the election campaign, comes nearly five years after the first Gozo fast ferry service began operating from Valletta, in the middle of a pandemic.

Times of Malta boarded the first scheduled trip from Sliema to test the service, which was due to arrive in Mġarr in one hour and 15 minutes. 

The journey is split into two parts. The ferry travels from Sliema to Buġibba, a trip of about 30 minutes. After stopping there for 15 minutes, it continues to Gozo for another half an hour.

A near miss

Our journey began at the Sliema Departure Terminal, and we were not the only ones waiting to hop on the new ferry.

Passengers queued outside the ticket office ahead of the 11.45am departure. Most appeared to be tourists heading to Gozo, with some saying they were excited to be among the first passengers to use the new service.

One blip in the operation was that there was no separate queue for passengers who had already bought their tickets, and as the departure time approached, concern grew that we would miss the ferry.

A ticket operator later called out to those who already had tickets and asked them to proceed to the front.

As passengers boarded, staff asked if commuters were travelling to Gozo or Buġibba. Those stopping in Buġibba were asked to sit at the front of the ferry. Later, those passengers who boarded the ferry at Buġibba also sat at the front.

The ferry left Sliema shortly after 11.49 am, and arrived in Buġibba at 12.15 pm, completing the first leg in under 30 minutes. 

'Quite posh'

The ferry journey to Mġarr was a smooth one, with passengers commenting on the comfort of the ferry and the beautiful views.

Don, a 76-year-old tourist from Kent visiting family in Malta, described the ferry as “quite posh”.

"The seats have a quality feel to them, and the staff are very organised,” he said.

“It’s also cheap, but don’t tell them that as they will put up the prices,” he joked.

As a senior citizen, Don paid a €3 subsidised fare for a trip between Sliema and Gozo. Standard one-way fares are €8.50 between Sliema and Gozo and €6.50 between Buġibba and Gozo.

Crossings between Sliema and Buġibba are free for Tal-Linja card holders. Those with a Tallinja Card can also benefit from a discounted fare of €6.50 for crossings between Sliema and Gozo.

Yet, on Tuesday, when Times of Malta showed a Tallinja card at the ticket booth, the operator said the system was still being updated. Hopefully just a teething problem on the service's first trip. 

Loe Knipschild, a Dutch tourist travelling to Gozo with his wife, also praised the ferry and the view.

Another tourist, Ruth, who boarded the ferry from Buġibba, described the trip as "very smooth and relaxing.”

She is staying in St Paul’s Bay and walked to the terminal, avoiding the hassle of trying to find parking in the busy tourist area.

While the government announced a new circular bus service around Buġibba, which will coordinate with the ferry’s departure times, it remains unclear how many passengers will drive to Buġibba, park there and take the ferry or use the new bus system.

The ferry entered Mġarr harbour at 12.46 pm, with passengers disembarking at 1pm on the dot.