'One passenger per trip' used Gozo night service

Gozo Channel Co. Ltd said that despite its efforts to provide a daily night service linking Cirkewwa and Mgarr, passenger use this winter was pathetically low.

Between October and last month, a total of 449 passengers used the service, including 254 who used the service only in October. This works out an average of fewer than three passengers daily and fewer than one per trip, the company said.

This figure was somewhat higher than the 337 passengers using the same service in the same months the previous year when the service was on a request basis, the company said in reaction to comments by the Gozo Tourism Association. The GTA said access to Gozo this winter was "the worst in living memory".

Gozo Channel said it found the association's call for the introduction of ferry services at 2 and 4 a.m. as surprising because a scheduled service consisting of two round trips between Malta and Gozo at 2 and 3.30 a.m. from Mgarr, with corresponding return trips from Cirkewwa, already exists.

This service using smaller vessels has been in operation since September when the changeover to the winter schedule took place, the company added. For the summer schedule the large vessels are used round the clock.

The company said that, ironically, this was the first winter when scheduled services were in operation in the early hours. Previously such services were provided only on specific requests.

Gozo Channel said it recognised its "community responsibility" and felt it was doing more than fulfilling that responsibility. But Gozo's tourism trade must realise that Gozo Channel also had some responsibilities to protect its own interests, the company said.