On the Sunday of the carnival weekend in Gozo, I was in Malta with my family and planned to return to Gozo sometime in the evening. I was quite sure the trip would be easy because the ferry was providing a shuttle service to take back the heavy amount of cars of the Maltese.

Alas! I was so wrong! We arrived at Ċirkewwa at about 6.20 p.m. and saw that the ferry, MV Malita, had just berthed and was unloading. There were no more than 20 cars in the queue so we thought we would be lucky enough to be home in less than an hour. Soon after the cars were unloaded, the ferry put up the ramp and left, without admitting anyone from Ċirkewwa on board!

When we asked why this had happened, we were told the Gozo Channel manager had instructed the workers the Malita was not to “waste time” loading vehicles from Malta to Gozo because of the long queues of passengers in Gozo who had to cross over as quickly as possible! Well, what about the people waiting in Malta to get to Gozo? Did we have not the same right to get home just as quickly? Should the Gozitans in Malta not be treated with equal dignity? How long would it have taken to load about two dozen cars?

Among the people who had been denied the right to get home were families with children, people who had just returned from abroad and others who were going to Gozo to visit sick relatives in hospital. Was this fair?

I would be very grateful if the people responsible gave me a plausible reason for our wait. In the meantime, I cannot but reiterate the disgusting service Gozo Channel is capable of providing.