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NEWS | Wednesday, 08 August 2007

Gozo Business Chamber concerned about Sa Maison service

Sarah Attard Gialanze

In a release sent to all media, the Gozo Business Chamber (GBC) said it is currently preoccupied with the ferry service that the Gozo Channel is providing for the transport of cargo from Sa Maison to Mgarr, Gozo.
According to the GBC, the Gozo Channel is not adhering to the scheduled time-table adding various trips are being cancelled for no valid reason.
The Chamber claims it has made various representations to the Gozo channel, however the situation has remained the same.
The Gozo Business Chamber says there are Gozitan businessmen facing hardships due to the fact that they make use of the Sa Maison service for the transportation of goods.
Another inconvenience, says the GBC, is that the heavy transport using the roads leading to Cirkewwa causes traffic jams and adds to the air pollution problem.
The Gozo Business Chamber is appealing to the Gozo Channel and the Minister concerned to find a permanent solution for this issue.
In a separate statement, Joseph Borg, Chairman of Gozo Channel Company Ltd. claimed that all Sa Maison trips are operating according to plan.
Borg added at times during the past months the company could only utilize two vessels (as the third was being repaired at the Malta Shipyards) and under the circumstances trips had be reduced.
The performance of these trips, says Borg, would have caused serious disruptances to the Mgarr-Cirkewwa service.
Contacted for comment, Chief Executive Officer Joseph G. Grech said ‘the Gozo Channel’s summer schedule states that the Sa Maison service operates from Monday to Friday excluding public holidays.’
However the service is operating on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday excluding the eve of and on public holidays.
Grech explained how complaints have reached the Chamber from two sources: both from members of the Gozo Business Chamber and non-members who make use of the cargo service, together with Maltese and Gozitans using the Cirkewwa service who are left behind at Cirkewwa due to trailers and containers occupying space usually reserved for passenger cars.
Gozo Channel’s Captain Mario Grech said ‘at the moment all trips are operating’, however any further inquiries should be addressed to the Chief Executive Officer.


08 August 2007
ISSUE NO. 498


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