Cabinet offered taste of Gozo-Malta commute

The newly set-up Gozo Forum has issued an invitation to all Cabinet members and their families to take up free residence at a Gozo hotel for a month on a full-board basis so they can gain a better understanding of what Gozitan commuters have to go through every day.

In a letter to Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, the forum said: "Obviously, as your job requires you to be present almost every day on the other island, you would have to make two trips per day on the Gozo Channel ferries. All we ask is that you do not make use of your privilege to jump the queue every time you board the ferry.

"If you wish to take up this invitation, please get in touch with us through the Gozo Tourism Association."

The forum is a committee made up of representatives of Gozitan bodies and will meet regularly. It contains the Gozo Business Chamber, Gozo Tourism Association, local councils, other constituted bodies and Church representatives.

It appealed to Dr Gonzi to revise the higher fares for the Gozo Channel ferries that will take effect on Tuesday.

"Cabinet members did not necessarily consider the problem of transport between Malta and Gozo in a global manner. If one had to look at the impact of these fare rises, they would not have been announced at a time when Gozo's economy was in such a precarious state. We regret that this has happened and believe it definitely would not have happened had there been an appreciation of our island's specific problems. We believe these rises are unacceptable and request that they be revoked," the forum said.

Fares are to increase across the board, while there will be further staggered increases in vehicle fares up till 2006. To complement these rises, the government has also announced a series of money-saving frequent traveller schemes.

Last week, Gozitan parish priests wrote to Dr Gonzi to express their concern over the fare increases and asked him to intervene so that a solution can be found to the problem.

The forum has also delivered a flier to every Gozitan household informing them of the invitation extended to Cabinet. It asks the islanders to pull at the same rope to support every initiative taken to help Gozo move forward.

Meanwhile, it expressed the hope that it would have the opportunity to host Dr Gonzi and his colleagues: "We are convinced that you will seriously consider this invitation. We are certain that an experience of this nature would help you to understand what those who travel to Malta have to go through day after day, month after month and year after year. On top of all this, now the financial burden will increase on those Maltese citizens who through no fault of their own live in Gozo."