Gozitan eye surgeon and Labour candidate Franco Mercieca yesterday published letters which he says prove he had indeed applied for a priority pass on the Gozo Channel.

About a month ago, Dr Mercieca had complained he had to cancel morning operations at Mater Dei Hospital because his priority pass had been revoked by the company. In its first reaction this week, the company said it had to review the priority pass system after receiving numerous complaints and all holders were asked to reapply. Dr Mercieca, it said, had not.

Dr Mercieca, on his website, published the copy of a letter of application that he had sent to the company on March 23, along with the company’s e-mailed reply informing him his request “cannot be acceded to”, dated April 20.

He questioned why the company had not replied to his questions on how many passes had been withdrawn in March and asked for the real reasons why the passes were withdrawn.

Dr Mercieca would use this pass “discreetly and only when in need as it is never a nice feeling to jump any queue”, he said in a press release sent yesterday signed off as “TeamFranco”.