Eye surgeon denies abusing Gozo ferry ­priority system

A Gozitan eye surgeon yesterday strongly rejected the claim he had abused the Gozo Channel priority boarding system for medics.

This is a blatant lie... I will publish all the letters to prove my case

Consultant ophthalmologist Franco Mercieca last month said that in March his priority boarding card to get onto the ferry was not renewed, which led him to cancel morning operations because he was not making it to Mater Dei Hospital on time.

Almost a month later, Gozo Channel yesterday issued a statement saying there were complaints, some involving Mr Mercieca, of privilege card-holders turning up mere minutes before departure and taking the place of queuing drivers.

Passengers also complained that Mr Mercieca used his pass on the return journey when no reason for priority boarding existed, according to the company.

Mr Mercieca said this was the first time he had heard such allegations and complaints. He usually turned up for the boat 10 to 15 minutes before and his boarding was always at the discretion of the marshalling staff. He only used priority boarding from Malta when he was called for an emergency at the Gozo General Hospital.

Clearly irate, he said: “It took Gozo Channel a month to come up with these excuses. I’m replying within an hour because I have nothing to hide.”

The company said that when the priority boarding system was reviewed, Mr Mercieca did not apply for a new permit.

Here too, the surgeon reacted furiously. “This is a blatant lie...” he said, insisting, that he would publish all the letters to prove his case, including a letter from Gozo Channel rejecting his application.

(The letters were published this morning. The application was made on March 23 and the Gozo Channel letter rejecting it was dated April 20)

Mr Mercieca, a Labour Party candidate in Gozo, said he would publish the documents on his website, francomercieca.com, on his return from a work trip to Vienna. He said that in March, he was informally told by a marshalling officer that he needed to re-apply for the permit. He did so immediately and submitted a supporting letter from Mater Dei.

He had first obtained the priority boarding pass in 2001 and reviewed it every six months until, in 2005, he was granted an unlimited pass. Things changed in March when he re-applied for the pass after Gozo Channel reviewed the system. He insisted he only wanted the pass to be able to make it to Malta in time for his patients. He was not asking for a free ride.

Gozo Channel said the priority boarding system was introduced when the traffic onto the ferry was considerably less. At the time it was not normal for a car to be left behind because of a doctor’s boarding. However, traffic increased over the years and the priority system had to be reviewed since cars started being left behind.

Gozo Channel said that, next year it hoped to be able to introduce premium channels that would address the needs of passengers who wished to have priority boarding.