Sliema-Buġibba-Gozo fast ferry service inaugurated

Robert Abela inaugurated a fast ferry service between Sliema, Buġibba and Gozo on Tuesday, describing it as a crucial part of the government’s long-term transport plans.

The ferry is another step in the country’s modal shift towards alternative transport, he said during a ceremony at Buġibba.

Abela, who arrived at Buġibba on the first crossing from Mġarr, Gozo, said this process had kicked off with “a dream many years ago, at the time of the pandemic,” when the initial fast ferry service between Valletta and Gozo was launched.

The overwhelming success of that service, which last year registered over 1.2 million trips, traced the way forward, he said.

He confirmed that the new ferry service will be subsidised in a similar way to the fast ferry between Valletta and Gozo, brushing away the suggestion that the latter’s success means it can be weaned off subsidies.

“We will not reduce subsidies because that would mean an increase in passenger prices and I don’t believe in that strategy,” Abela said. “This is especially true in the context of diesel prices, on which these services rely, having exploded”.

The fast ferry berthing in Buġibba. (Chris Sant Fournier)

Ferry times for the crossings are 30 minutes between Sliema and Buġibba and another 30 minutes between Buġibba and Gozo. The ferry stop in Buġibba takes 15 minutes. Crossings between Sliema and Buġibba are free for Tal-Linja card holders. Services are operated by Gozo HighSpeed. Further details are available here.

The government is also planning to introduce a service between Marsascala and Valletta, once works on a pier in Marsascala are completed. 

Buġibba circular bus to start operating today

Transport Minister Chris Bonett described the ferry’s inauguration as “the proudest moment of my political career to date,” saying the plan to extend sea connectivity across the Maltese islands was now becoming tangible.

Pointing to the government’s Malta in Motion plan for a new transport system over a 15-year span, Bonett said “transport in Malta can only change incrementally, one service after another, one connection after another”.

Bonett also announced that a new circular bus service around Buġibba would start operating today. The bus schedule will operate in coordination with the ferry’s departure times, to make it easier for people to travel to the ferry landing in the first place.

Transport Malta CEO Kurt Farrugia said the new service “offers people a new choice, giving them the opportunity to shift away from their cars”.

The ferry service will eventually link with the proposed light rail system, effectively extending the service to St Paul’s Bay, he said.

St Paul’s Bay mayor Ċensu Galea took to Facebook on Tuesday morning to say he was not invited to attend the inauguration.

When asked why this decision was taken, Abela said he has “full respect” for Galea and was not involved in the event’s logistical arrangements.

The ferry service was originally slated to begin operating in August 2025.

However, the plans ran aground after a ferry company lodged a legal challenge with the Public Contracts Review Board, saying the tender went against EU rules and were designed to favour existing fast ferry operators.

The objection was eventually dropped, paving the way for works on the ferry service to be completed.

Pressure on Mġarr Harbour, could Marsalforn be an alternative?

The Gozo Tourism Association welcomed the inauguration of the Fast Ferry Service and said it would significantly enhance inter-island connectivity.

It warned, however, that the increased activity generated by this service will place additional pressure on the already busy Mġarr Harbour. "It is therefore essential to consider how to create additional berthing space and develop a suitable terminal to accommodate fast ferry commuters. At this stage, it is also necessary to explore seriously viable plans for shifting the fast ferry operations to the port of Marsalforn," it said.