Walter Ahar's letter "The dghajsa under threat" (The Sunday Times, September 23) made interesting reading.

While currently resident in the UK, in the last few years I have chosen to live in Senglea when back in Malta. One of the pleasant discoveries has been the ability to cross over to Valletta from Vittoriosa/Senglea and be in the centre of the city in 20 minutes. The charge is Lm1 one way from Vittoriosa/Senglea to the Customs House in Valletta with the option of being picked up to be taken back later.

I have often wondered how inefficient and nonsensical it is to drive all the way round from Cottonera to Valletta when it is such a short trip across the Grand Harbour in a safe, efficient and friendly atmosphere and certainly less stressful then driving all the way round to Valletta even before parking and making one's way into the city.

From a tourism point of view I certainly strongly believe that id-dghajsa tal-pass is flexible enough to withstand the changing economic realities of the Grand Harbour from a military and industrial one to a tourism and leisure-orientated one. It could certainly be one way to reduce the inequality between the number of tourists and cruise liner passengers visiting Valletta to those visiting the Three Cities.

Id-dghajsa tal-pass is all too often passed off as a touristic curiosity with no relevance to the local population and the microcosm that is the Grand Harbour. This regrettably appears to also be the policy of the government itself as evidenced by an annual fee levied by the Malta Tourism Authority.

Much more can be done to make this means of transport relevant to the localities around the Grand Harbour. If this can be organised into an efficient and affordable means of transport for locals, then it would be good enough for tourists too. I am not sure that this is currently a stated priority for the boatmen themselves which means that they are missing out on a ready market at their fingertips.

I support the boatmen's co-operative's view that more access points are necessary around the harbour. It is difficult to understand why they are not allowed into the lagoon at the now-established centre that is the Valletta Waterfront. However, affordable prices (a Lm2 round trip is too expensive for the regular commuter) and marketing round the catchment localities would be necessary.

Professionalism and reliability is crucial. My initial new-found enthusiasm for using id-dghajsa was tempered by later experiences of a British relative whom I had encouraged to use this mode of transport. The trip from Vittoriosa to Valletta went well enough, but unfortunately he was later left standing on the Valletta seafront waiting to be picked up by a boatman despite a previous agreement and despite a phone call to remind him.

While I can understand the boatmen's co-operative's concern that the recently issued permits for fibreglass versions could lead to price undercutting and financial difficulties, I am not sure that protectionism is the right way forward. I would far prefer the co-operative to concentrate on how to retain the edge in a competitive market and seek new ways to further their income in traditional as well as new fronts to their business.

What about an educational centre on the long history of this mode of transport as well as a living workshop where one can watch and interact with the restorative and maintenance processes of such boats?

The danger of the Ministry of Infrastructure at the moment is to become solely concerned with upgrading Malta's road networks. Alternative methods of transport must be explored to reduce the pressure on the network. Water transport across the Grand Harbour is a natural and unique mode of mobility as one can get. For that to materialise a co-ordinated policy of moving commuters across the harbour to the capital city and back is essential with the right incentives for the private sector to become involved. The proposed vertical transportation project linking the Valletta seafront to the centre of the city should help to improve accessibility.

The humble id-dghajsa tal-pass can again lead the way from a traditional point of view in water transport across our harbours. Even then that would be the start which may be complemented by other means of water transport as would be a resurrected Connections project linking Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour.