Gozo business chamber flags 'grave situation' at ferry terminals

Updated 6.15pm with PN statement

The Gozo business chamber on Thursday lamented the islanders' depleted access to ferry services, while also raising concern over "lack of transparency" in the issuing of passes to skip the queue at the terminals.

In a statement, it flagged the "grave situation" at the Mġarr and Ċirkewwa ferry terminals, which, it said, had reached their capacity limit. "Much harm" had only been averted through extensive coordination.

At the same time, the docking of the MV Nikolaos over the past weeks, planned up until May 19, "has shown, once again, Gozo’s vulnerability at its only access point in Mġarr, which is now very small compared to Gozo’s needs and its expanding economy".

The delays experienced in the past weeks have negatively impacted the community and its economy, the chamber claimed.

"The government must understand that Gozo completely depends on Mġarr Harbour and the service being offered by Gozo Channel. This is the lifeline for both the economy and the community.

"The serious lack of planning and forward thinking, which has undermined both the infrastructure and the service, shows once again that Gozo is not being given the attention it merits. While we are seeing significant investment in the transport infrastructure in Malta, we are not seeing the same level of investment in Gozo," the chamber lamented.

Welcoming recent news about a potential land reclamation project in Mġarr as a step in the right direction, the chamber insisted Gozo deserved better.

The island, it said, deserved serious strategic and forward thinking and to be given its due attention within the national context.

Who is being handed passes to skip the queue?

The Chamber also said it felt there was a "serious lack of transparency" in the issuing of passes to people to skip the queue at the terminals. 

It called for "transparent and consolidated criteria that are publicly available", urging the Gozo Channel to provide information on the number of passes issued on a quarterly basis and the reasons why these were being issued.

Passes should also be reviewed by an independent board at particular intervals to ensure they were not being abused or used by people other than those to whom they have been issued, it said.

It added that the car queueing area in Ċirkewwa should be "properly manned", noting that on several occasions, queues were skipped by vehicles entering the waiting area.

Gozo residents stranded at fast ferry terminals

In its statement, the chamber also flagged issues with the fast ferry service. 

It was not the first time that Gozitans were left stranded at the terminal and had to wait an extra hour because the ferries were full. This was increasingly becoming an issue as the number of day tourists visiting Gozo continued to increase. 

"Due to the success of the service, it is important to ensure that it continues to respond to the continuously changing exigencies of people travelling between the two islands," it said. 

Connectivity must become a priority - PN

The Nationalist Party on Thursday supported the urgent call by the Gozo Business Chamber for serious investment in Gozo's accessibility.

In a statement, Shadow Minister for Gozo Alex Borg said connectivity between Malta and Gozo "should no longer remain at the very bottom of the Government's list of priorities."

Borg called for the urgent replacement of the Nikolaos which he said is being leased at a cost of thousands of euros per day, excluding fuel expenses, and a "serious study" into the possibility of a fifth vessel dedicated exclusively to freight transport.