Gozo ferries carry 800,000 passengers in first quarter

The number of passengers between Malta and Gozo increased by 12.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2008 over the same period last year, totalling 800,394, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

The number of vehicles carried by scheduled vessels went up by 10.2 per cent to total 232,322.

The NSO said that consistent with previous years, March registered the greatest loads.

Good Friday this year fell in March whereas last year the Easter weekend, traditionally a period when Maltese cross over to Gozo in droves, fell in April.

The rise in demand was serviced by an increase in supply, the NSO said. The number of trips stood at 4,731, an increase of 4.6 per cent over the same period last year. The highest number of trips was recorded in March - 1,684 or 35.6 per cent of the total for the period.

While the Gaudos and the Malita made 216 and 48 fewer trips respectively, the Ta' Pinu vessel made 472 more to compensate.