Introducing a fourth Gozo ferry has drastically improved commuting between Malta’s two major islands and should raise questions about whether an undersea tunnel is actually needed, an association of Gozitan workers has said.
The Association of Gozitan Employees in Malta said on Wednesday that it was “extremely satisfied” with the existing Gozo Channel ferry timetable and the way the service was operating ever since a fourth vessel, the Nicolaus, was added.
“Not only did the 4th ferry contribute to reduce to the bare minimum the long car queues and the terrible traffic jams at Cirkewwa, but it also helped to reduce the actual travelling time of commuters to and from Malta,” the AGEM said.
The Nicolaus can carry up to 1,000 passengers and 150 vehicles. It was brought to Malta just before summer, after Gozo Channel wrapped up a leasing deal to bring the vessel from Greece to Malta.
Its introduction has proven to be a success among Gozitan commuters, with the Gozo Tourism Association having said that the improvement in service times was noticeable throughout the busy summer months.
“It is evident that its introduction was a must in the inter-island connectivity,” the GTA had said in July.
The AGEM echoed those comments and said that with that success in mind, questions had to be raised about the usefulness of developing a tunnel between Malta and Gozo.
The association asked authorities to publish all studies related to the tunnel “to ease scrutiny” and noted that studies related to the tunnel’s benefits should also take into consideration the impact of having a fourth full-time ferry in operation.
Although the government has made it clear that it wants to build a tunnel between Malta and Gozo, plans have been shrouded in secrecy.
That did not stop MPs from both major parties from voting unanimously last April in favour of building a "permanent link" between the two islands, in a vote that was slammed by NGOs as a "blind political commitment".
PN - People with disabilities have problems on the Nicolaus
Meanwhile, in a statement, the Nationalist Party asked the government to explain what its plans are for the ferry Nicolaus.
The party said many people with disabilities were complaining about the fact that the ferry lacked a lift and accessibility was difficult.
Furthermore, passengers often had to embark and disembark from the same ramp as the cars.
While the need for the fourth ferry was undoubted, the government needed to explain for how long the Nikolaos would continue to operate. The party asked what plans were prepared for the situation to be improved or for the ship to be replaced.
Times of Malta reported last month that the Nicolaus had originally been chartered for the summer but its charter has since been extended until tender proceedings for a replacement are concluded.