Gozo Channel passenger numbers up

The feast of Our Lady of Victories, September 8, proved to be a winner for Gozo Channel as it ferried more passengers across the channel over the long weekend than last year.

Almost 75,000 passengers and 17,751 vehicles used the ferry service between September 8 and last Sunday compared with 71,348 passengers and 16,118 vehicles last year.

The figures show the volatility of the market since more passengers travel when public holidays fall close to a weekend. Passenger numbers tend to drop when a public holiday occurs early in the week. Gozo Channel has seen a marginal increase in vehicles and passengers carried this summer over last year, in spite of a rise in the ticket price for vehicles last June.