George Borg, port services and, commercial manager, Gozo Channel Company Ltd, Pietà
Fireworks banned on Gozo ferries
I refer to the letter How Safe Is The Gozo Ferry? (August 10)
Searches are conducted at random on shore and on board vessels by the duty officers and the company operates a ferry service dedicated to the carriage of dangerous goods, materials and substances which are listed in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. Fireworks are completely banned from Gozo Channel vessels and if transported by other means of transport to Gozo this is not a matter with which the company can concern itself, other than by seeking to enforce the rules through inspection as mentioned above.
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Joseph Sammut
Aug 17th 2010, 16:33
Would this officer be kind enough to give us more information as to how and when these searches have been done, say over the last twelve months. In the first place are GCCL employees authorised to search? Also, why stop at fireworks; why not search for drugs - heaven knows what goes through between Malta and Gozo. I do not for a moment suggest that drug searches should be done by GCCL employees - the police drug squad should do it as another relative police body should do the fireworks search.
simon sullivan
Aug 17th 2010, 12:47
Mr Borg, I am 30 years old and have been going up to Gozo since I was six months old. I average about 10 visits a year and not once have I ever seen heard or known of any random or systematic search. This due to the fact that as you well know no searches are ever conducted.
Joseph Micallef
Aug 17th 2010, 16:19
Same here .... I have never heard, not experienced or known of any searches. So either the author of this letter is insulting people's intelligence or they are so infrequent ...
John Azzopardi
Aug 17th 2010, 11:01
I do hope that this statement is correct and there are no crazy fools who would dare place hundreds of peoples lives in jeopardy by carrying fireworks illegally on a ferry. How can we be absolutely sure that fireworkds are not carried on board the ferries. I never have seen inspections going on. To prevent fireworks from being illegally taken on board a ferry, you need sensors at both ferry terminals or at the ship's entrance to ensure that this does not happen. This is the only deterrence.