The police have started inspecting the Gozo Channel ferry to make sure vehicle owners do not leave their engines on or remain on the car deck during crossings.

Gozo Channel introduced the measure after a customer's letter in Times of Malta prompted an investigation by the ombudsman.

Last month, Emmanuel Galea complained that about 20 car owners travelling to Gozo had left their engines running during the crossing.

Their actions were exposing other passengers and ferry staff to “toxic gases”, Galea said, highlighting the lack of ventilation on the ferry’s car deck.

“Gozo Channel crew tried to draw the attention of the respective drivers to switch off their vehicle engines. They were ignored and, at times, insulted,” he said, adding that leaving engines running is against the ferry’s regulations.

Following the publication of the letter on August 2, the ombudsman contacted the ferry operator to investigate the claims, which confirmed that rules were in place prohibiting drivers from leaving their engines on or staying on the car deck.

Crew had already been instructed to warn passengers of the health risks and penalties for disobeying the regulations, the operator said.

A police officer has since started inspecting ferries between 8 am and 6 pm daily, the ombudsman informed Times of Malta earlier this week.

“Addressing our concerns on how non-compliant passengers were dealt with, the Gozo Channel has taken further steps to strengthen enforcement,” a spokesperson for the ombudsman said.

“We would like to extend our gratitude to Gozo Channel for their swift and proactive response to the matter. We also wish to acknowledge Mr Galea for bringing this pertinent issue to light, which, undoubtedly, impacts the broader community,” he said.

In November, a Eurobarometer survey found that the Maltese are the most concerned in the EU about the impacts of poor air quality on their health, with 75 per cent saying they deem respiratory disease resulting from this “a very serious problem”.

Almost a third of respondents also said they agree with the introduction of penalties for those responsible when air quality standards are breached.

During the first quarter of this year, almost 440,000 vehicles were ferried between Mġarr and Ċirkewwa in almost 7,900 trips, according to data from the National Statistics Office (NSO).