Graffitti demands nationalisation of the Malta-Gozo fast ferry service after privatisation flop

Moviment Graffitti is calling for the nationalisation of the Malta-Gozo fast ferry service after private operators slashed operations, leaving Gozitan commuters frothing at the mouth.

Graffitti said the service should be nationalised to ensure a more effective and affordable fast ferry service.

The NGO pointed out that it makes little to no financial sense for government to use taxpayers’ money to subsidise the profits of private companies when it can offer the service itself directly.

The privatisation of this service has already led to an increase in fares and the rollback of the use of the TalLinja card which had provided public transport streamlining, Graffitti said. "This demonstrates how public services run by private companies actually make a service worse, not better."

It expressed anger at the "sudden and unjust" reduction of the Gozo fast ferry service, which is a necessary link for students and workers commuting between the islands.

The fast ferry service is provided by two companies - Virtù Ferries and Gozo Fast Ferry - after government opted to liberalise the service. Until last week, between 12 and 13 trips a day were being offered between Malta and Gozo. But now both Virtù and Gozo Fast Ferry announced a new slimmed down winter schedule with nine trips a day concentrated in the morning and the afternoon.

The last fast ferry from Malta to Gozo leaves at 4:30pm, leaving behind the Gozitan workers, students and residents that finish their jobs, school or errands later in the evening. The new schedule has raised the ire of many Gozitan commuters who have become reliant on the fast ferry service to save on time.

Graffitti said the concession awarded to two private companies was a mistake from the start. The organisation said that some commuters between the islands had also ditched their cars as a result of the service. The ability to board the fast ferry by bicycle made it an attractive option also for bicycle users.

Graffitti called "this sudden excision" of service an "insult to all Gozitan and Maltese residents" a mere year-and-a-half after it started being offered.

“We demand immediate action from the government to step in and ensure that the prior timetable is restored within the framework of a service that prioritises the common good,” Graffitti said.