Mġarr passenger terminal

The newly inaugurated Mġarr passenger terminal may all be well and good. Indeed, it is a modern, spacious and well-designed structure, which, as rightly pointed out, in many ways reminds one of the airport. One hopes that this multi-million euro project will be well maintained and taken care of by all who use it.

This brings to mind a shameful incident which took place at the terminal just over a month ago many may not be aware of. It was the stormy morning of January 24. During that week foot passengers had been advised to use the new terminal building on a trial basis. People (workers, students, etc.) arrived as usual to start their daily routine, and when they asked Gozo Channel employees for information regarding the operation of the ferry service that morning, were either told "we don't know" or "the ferries are not operating as yet". I was one of those who had asked several times and always got the same reply - from 5.30 a.m. till 8.15 a.m.

Finally one could board a ferry which passengers understandably thought was making the first trip of the morning. But another ferry had left the port more than an hour earlier with vehicles and passengers who were not in the terminal building, and had already returned safely from Ċirkewwa by 8.15 a.m. I was told of this by chance by someone who was in the long car queue and didn't catch the first ferry. It was confirmed by a crew member of the ferry I was on too.

Thank you and well done for keeping people in the terminal for three hours and not telling them the truth. Shouldn't there also be a PA system? Isn't a public announcement and/or apology to commuters normal practice when delays occur? Is it fair, right and excusable that passengers, who cannot see what is going on behind the terminal building, are left stranded for such a long time when the ferries are actually operating?

Regarding the 6 a.m. trip from Mġarr this should leave the harbour at 6 a.m. sharp daily and not only on Mondays when that ferry should return from Ċirkewwa at 6.30 a.m., meaning that things must be speeded up. If only it were Monday every day! Please, let's stop this slow motion stuff once and for all. There has, however, been a slight improvement in this respect following a previous public complaint in November 2006. Wouldn't it be nice to get things right at all times?