Hundreds of commuters were stranded in long queues at Mġarr Harbour on Tuesday because only two of Gozo Channel’s three ferries were in service.

Many lamented long hours waiting, resulting from one of the ferries having been chartered by the Labour Party.

The vessel was chartered to take party supporters to a Workers’ Day mass meeting in Valletta and back.

Commuter complaints resulting from May Day events seem to be an annual affair, said Gozo University Group president Rachel Galea.

The group’s complaints seem to have fallen on deaf ears, she added, noting that no solution to the problem seemed to have been found.

It is disappointing there is no effort to fix it, as this is our only means of transport

“It is disappointing that there is no effort to fix this problem, particularly since this is our only means of transport to Malta,” she told the Times of Malta.

 “It’s just ridiculous when you have a company, which is the lifeline of the sister island, that leases out a ferry to accommodate supporters for political activities,” another resident said.

“It doesn’t make any sense, especially after a weekend,” he added.

The MV Gaudos left Mġarr Harbour at around 11 am and returned around 8pm, another resident pointed out.

Last year, the GUG lambasted the chartering of ferries by political parties, describing it as “unacceptable”.

Questions sent to Joe Cordina – the chairman of Gozo Channel and also a Labour candidate on the Gozo district – were not answered by the time of writing.

Mr Cordina defended the use of the ferry to transport Labour supporters last year, telling the Times of Malta there should be no reason that someone who had paid for a ferry should not be allowed to use it.

It had cost the Labour Party around €4,000 to charter the ferry, he said.

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