Watch: Gozo-Buġibba-Sliema ferry to launch by end of August: Transport Minister

A new ferry service connecting Sliema to Gozo via Buġibba is planned to start around the end of August, Transport Minister Chris Bonett said, as the government issues tenders for the new ferry service.

The minister was speaking on Wednesday evening at the inauguration of a new ferry terminal in Buġibba, which also serves as a breakwater.

"The call for tenders starts tomorrow [Thursday] and will be open for around three weeks. We will then evaluate the bids, and provided there are no complications or appeals, the service will start between the middle and end of August," Bonett told Times of Malta. 

Times of Malta first revealed plans for the service last weekend, with sources close to the Transport Ministry saying the ferry initiative forms part of a wider strategy to link more of Malta's ports and ease congestion on the roads by encouraging sea-based commuting.

The minister stressed that the service, named Tal-Linja Bil-Baħar, would not be limited only to the summer season but would operate a year-round schedule.

"We want to create another alternative transport method so that people do not have to travel by car. For example, if someone living in Gozo or St Paul's Bay needs to go to the hospital, instead of driving they can catch the ferry to Sliema and complete the rest of the journey by bus," Bonett said

The service between Buġibba and Sliema will be free for Tal-Linja Card holders, while the Gozo part of the route will be against payment. The minister said each leg of the trip would take around 30 minutes. 

Bonett said there were also plans to start a ferry service between Valletta and Marsascala.

"We don't want the service to be viewed as a pleasure cruise but as a public transport method. This will be especially important to people living in the south. We want people who commute to work to start considering this method."

Work on the project, which replaced the existing jetty, started in 2021. The 37-metre pier and 180-metre breakwater were constructed by Infrastructure Malta with the help of the European Regional Development Fund, and cost €14 million.

Abela said the new 130-metre breakwater would provide more effective shelter to boats moored in the bay. Photo: Robert Abela / Facebook

Prime Minister Robert Abela said the previous state of the jetty reflected the previous state of infrastructure in the country, quipping that it had more holes than concrete and chunks of it falling into the sea. 

"From a site that was completely abandoned, we created this jewel that we see today. The project is testament to the efficiency of government entities and how valuable public-private partnerships can be," he said.

Abela noted the breakwater would provide more effective shelter to the fishing boats and small pleasurecraft that were moored in the bay.