Gozo Forum slams ferry fare rises

The recently set up Gozo Forum yesterday said it could not accept the fare rises on the Gozo Channel ferries which take effect today and it criticised the government over a lack of consultation.

The forum said it felt that the new fares would have a negative economic and social effect on Gozo.

The forum is made up of representatives of the Gozo Business Chamber, Gozo Tourism Association, constituted bodies, the Church and mayors.

Gozo Business Chamber president Michael Caruana also criticised former Gozo Channel chairman John Sullivan who, he said, wrote a "sarcastic" letter in The Times yesterday entitled "Free ferry crossings for all".

Dr Caruana said: "Mr Sullivan knows what he left behind him. The problems at Gozo Channel were certainly not created by (current Gozo Channel chairman) Maurice Zarb Adami. People can address sarcasm in a number of ways...

"Of course we do not expect the crossing to be free. But we did not want fares to rise from their current level."

Before opening a news conference, Dr Caruana paid tribute to Michael Grech, the Gozitan lawyer who was murdered last week, and observed a minute's silence.

The aim of the forum is to analyse Gozo's problems and assess in a collective manner how they can be addressed. It will meet regularly to discuss a range of issues to try and ensure that Gozo does not lose on the gains it has worked hard to achieve over the years.

"The problems are real and they must be properly addressed. There is a lack of investment, business and tourism," he said.

Gozo Tourism Association secretary Joe Muscat said: "First the schedule was reduced, then they stopped the trolley service and now there are the fare rises over which none of the constituted bodies in Gozo was consulted."

Mr Muscat said the ferry should be considered as an infrastructural service that should be funded by all taxpayers in the same way as the reconstruction of the Burmarrad road. "After all, we are Maltese who happen to live in Gozo."

The forum said it would adopt a wait-and-see attitude to the fare rises before deciding what further action to take and said that any incentive schemes must be "workable" in order to make sense.

Dr Caruana said: "Air Malta reduces prices to attract custom and Gozo Channel increases prices. There is an anomaly here."

The forum said it had received one response to its invitation last week to all Cabinet members to spend a month at a Gozo hotel free of charge. The response, the forum said, had stated that a month would be too long to unsettle children from their school and also expressed concern about the pets.