Gozo Channel found wanting

Nadur mayor Chris Said has slammed Gozo Channel Co. for the lengthy delays encountered by many Maltese as they attempted to cross over to Gozo for carnival last Saturday.

Dr Said, who himself was in Malta on Saturday morning to promote the carnival activities taking place in Nadur, said passengers were forced to queue for two to three hours before boarding a ferry because Gozo Channel did not start operating a shuttle service until late afternoon, even though there had been long tailbacks all day.

"I cannot understand why this should happen. There was a lot of marketing before the carnival and everyone was expecting a large number of people to make the crossing.

"The delays are costly for Gozo as well as for Gozo Channel. An extra two or three hours on the island means a lot of money to us. Some people opted to park their cars and board as foot passengers and some gave up while others will question whether it is worth coming up next year," he said.

When contacted, Gozo Channel general manager Marvic Fenech Adami said that there was a 40 per cent increase in vehicles making the crossing over last year.

Mr Fenech Adami said that the company was planning to run the shuttle service till the late afternoon and it was then not possible to mobilise a full crew very quickly since the master and certain other members had to come from Malta. "There is a substantial timeframe," he said.

An estimated 5,600 cars made the crossing over the weekend though at one point on Saturday tailbacks stretched further back than Marfa.

Meanwhile, there were over 18,000 passengers compared with 13,500 last year.

Dr Said said that together with volunteers he had been publicising the Nadur carnival - which has become a magnet for Maltese - for a long time.

"I do not have a commercial interest. This is something good for our village and good for Gozo. The island welcomes all these people in a quiet month like February. The Maltese spend a lot of money.

"Hotels and farmhouses were fully booked long before the carnival so it was obvious that demand was going to be high. I would like to know who is responsible for the roster at Gozo Channel."

In spite of the problems, Dr Said said that this year's Nadur carnival was a huge success - with crowds spilling over into the main square of the village and revellers still enjoying themselves at 3.30 a.m. the following morning.

"I am just concerned that people will think twice about coming up next year," he said.