Gozo Channel's cancellation of two evening trips in its new winter timetable would mean savings of about Lm30,000 in three months, according to company chairman Maurice Zarb Adami.
Replying to a volley of protests by the Gozo Tourism Association and the Gozo Business Chamber, Mr Zarb Adami pointed out that more than Lm100 for fuel alone was spent on each round trip.
"I understand that any change will bring about difficulties and resistance. However, nothing is set in stone and if need be we will reconsider our decision," he said at a press briefing, attended by company general manager Marvic Fenech Adami.
Mr Fenech Adami said that if there were demand, especially on Sunday evenings when many people were crossing between the islands, then the company would provide extra trips.
The new winter timetable has also been shortened to three months, from September 29 to January 4, as a trial period, instead of extending it to June 29 as was normally the case.
Under the new timetable, which came into effect on Monday, passengers face a two-hour, 45-minute wait for an evening ferry.
There are no ferries leaving Mgarr from 7.16 to 9.30 p.m. and from 9.31 p.m. till 12.15 a.m., while there are no services from Cirkewwa between 8.01 and 10.15 p.m. and from 10.16 p.m. till 1 a.m.
The association and the chamber have described the new timetable as a threat to tourism and urged Gozo Channel to reconsider its decision.
During a news conference at Mgarr, Gozo, yesterday Labour spokesman for Gozo Anton Refalo condemned the move as another slap in the face for Gozitans. He urged everybody to join forces to find a solution.
When asked to explain its decision, Mr Zarb Adami said the trips in question were cancelled because the demand was relatively low and there were times when the ferry was operating at just under three per cent of its capacity.
"We had requests by Gozitans to extend the summer timetable to the end of October but this was not possible because of the company's financial situation," he said.
The company had to maintain viability and ensure its operations were not endangered - the decision to cancel two trips had not been easy.
In its last financial year, the company made losses of about Lm800,000 and Mr Zarb Adami said that if the company wanted to be viable, it had to curb its losses.
"We can carry out an exercise of how to reduce costs. We do not rule out a review of ferry fares but yet again it is not a simple matter because we don't want the fare to be prohibitive. All I can say is that providing a service costs money," he said.
In response to a comment that restaurants would be the worst effected establishments by the new timetable, Mr Zarb Adami said in view of this the company had extended its offer of Lm4 for group dining.
"We will see how it goes with the new timetable and then act accordingly," he said.