Electric bicycles and e-scooters are no longer allowed on the Gozo Fast Ferry, with customers being told the ban was due to fire hazard concerns.

A ferry user who commutes by bike told Times of Malta this was another blow to active commuting. Getting from the Valletta terminal to, say, Marsascala on an e-bike usually takes 25 minutes while a bus trip would take at least an hour.

This does not really incentivise people to swap their private cars for cleaner modes of transport, he added.

The commuter, who travels between the islands two to three times a week, said he was first told e-bikes and e-scooters were being banned on Wednesday.

When he contacted the Gozo Fast Ferry, he was told they were now prohibited on board all vessels and throughout all terminal areas ‒ indoors and outdoors.

“Our policy is in place for the safety of our customers and staff due to fire safety concerns associated with e-scooter and e-bikes batteries as well as the incidence of both e-scooter and push scooter-related accidents resulting in personal injury,” he was told.

The passenger questioned whether this stand could create a precedent, with electric cars eventually being banned from the Gozo ferry. He also wondered whether it will also be applied to other battery-operated items, such as laptops.

Questions sent to Gozo Fast Ferry and Virtu Gozo remained unanswered.