The two operators of the Gozo fast ferry service have pledged to increase the number of trips they run between the islands once they conclude talks with the government over financial assistance for their loss-making operation.
They told Times of Malta when contacted that they welcomed the offer of a two-year, €12 million public service contract to continue operating the ferries, which are used a lot by Gozitans who work or study in Malta, as well as for hospital appointments.
The offer came just hours after the two companies, Virtù Ferries and Gozo Fast Ferry, both announced new winter schedules for trips from Valletta to Gozo under which the last ferry will leave Valletta as early as 4.30 pm on weekdays. They said their last trip would leave Mġarr, Gozo at 5 pm on weekdays and 5.30 pm on weekends.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the last fast ferry trip from Valletta is set to depart at 6 pm.
The slashed timetable has, however, drawn sharp condemnation from Gozitan business and student lobby groups, as well as from the Gozo Tourism Association.
The new schedule will be ineffective in serving many working adults and university students. Working hours are typically between 9am and 5pm, while lectures at the University of Malta can run as late as 8pm.
Gozo Fast Ferry: 'Decision was not taken lightly'
If taken up, the two-year service contract would bind operators to maintain a schedule in line with people’s needs as well as fix prices, the government said on Friday.
The contract would also allow people receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital and the Gozo General Hospital to make use of the fast ferry service for free.
A spokesperson for Gozo Fast Ferry said the decision to reduce the schedule had not been taken lightly but was “a necessary one”.
“External market factors, including rising fuel prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, have negatively impacted the viability of the service and our ability to provide a reliable and robust schedule. Since the launch, we have done our best to ensure the line continued to run and catered to as many sector requirements as possible,” a spokesperson said.
He added that the company looked forward to discussing in more detail with the authorities “with a view to re-introduce a more frequent and complete schedule that meets travellers’ expectations once the public service obligation is in place”.
Virtù: 'We cannot sustain the losses any longer'
Echoing these concerns, a Virtù Ferries spokesperson said the service could not be sustained without financial aid. “We have tried our utmost to keep the service going during the last 16 months but we cannot sustain the losses any longer. Rising costs, particularly the price of fuel and the pandemic repercussions, have had a negative effect on the viability of the service,” he said.
He added that increasing the frequency of trips, to satisfy the demands of different sectors, was not possible without aid.
Upon launch, the fast ferry service was styled as a time-saving alternative for travel between the islands, running journeys from Valletta to Mġarr in 45 minutes.
While crossings from the Ċirkewwa ferry terminal typically only take around 20 minutes, commuters had long complained about the travel time on land and heavy traffic congestion to Ċirkewwa as factors that effectively meant the journey to Gozo would take a number of hours to complete during peak times.