Editorial | Exploiting the sea for fast travel

Gozo’s accessibility is set to improve from 1 June when two shipping companies will start offering a fast ferry service between Mġarr and Valletta.

Competition between the two companies has ensured the pricing structures announced so far remain within reach for many users who have to travel daily or frequently between the islands.

The development is more than welcome, especially when one sees the tangible commitment being shown by both companies.

The 45-minute trip will give Gozitans who work and study in Malta a direct connection to the Valletta bus terminus from where they will be just one bus ride away from their final destination.

The Valletta landing place will also serve as a convenient departure point for cruise liner tourists wanting to visit Gozo for a day trip. It is also convenient for other tourists who can travel by bus or ferry to Valletta from the Sliema-St Julian’s hub and be on a vessel to Gozo .

The fact that the fast ferry service is only for passengers requires that schedules are timed to coincide with public transport services, something which appears to have been taken on board.

However, it also means that the transport infrastructure leading to or away from the fast ferry berthing spots has to improve.

On the Gozo side, a direct shuttle service between Mġarr and the central bus terminus in Victoria is a must. The shuttle service can also be to other key Gozitan villages such as Nadur and Xgħajra.

Passengers landing in Gozo without their car will want the fastest access to the public transport network to get around the island. This will encourage more domestic tourism, especially for day-trippers.

This might also require an expansion of Mġarr harbour to allow for a proper shuttle service terminus that will also accommodate on demand taxi services.

On the Malta side, a more frequent shuttle service from the Blata l-Bajda park-and-ride facility to the Valletta fast ferry terminal is also a must. Another investment is required to connect the Marsamxett-side ferry landing place with the upper part of Valletta, either through a lift or an escalator. This is necessary to make it easier for travellers who reach Marsamxett through the Sliema-Valletta ferry to get to the top of the capital. Alternatively, a swift shuttle service coinciding with the scheduled departure times should connect the Marsamxett side with the opposite side of Valletta.

The idea is to create seamless travel between the different ferry nodes.

Depending on custom, the Transport Authority might also consider introducing several other fast ferry connections along the route such as Sliema, St Julians, St Paul’s Bay, Kalkara and Marsaskala. Having a second landing place in Gozo, possibly in Marsalforn could also provide a more comprehensive sea network.

The scope of this will go beyond Gozo’s accessibility and introduce a new means of transport by sea to cut down on car use.

Whether this is successful depends on pricing structures, incentives for sea travel, efficiency and convenience for the different categories of people who will makes use of the service.

As operations get underway in June, the fast ferry service will allow the country to better understand the demand for fast sea travel and whether this could be considered as a plausible alternative to the Gozo-Malta road tunnel.