Government to issue tender for new Gozo Channel ferry by summer

The government will issue a tender for the construction of a new Gozo Channel ferry by mid-year, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri announced in Parliament on Tuesday.

Replying to a question by Nationalist MP Toni Bezzina, Camilleri said he asked the company to prepare a call for tenders to build a new ferry to Gozo Channel specifications by the middle of this year.

Currently, the Gozo Channel fleet consists of four ferries, three of which—Ta' Pinu, Gaudos, and Malita—are owned by the government. The fourth vessel, the Greek-owned Nikolaus, has been leased since 2019 as a temporary measure until a new ferry could be commissioned.

Prime Minister Robert Abela had initially announced the government’s intention to issue a tender for a fourth ferry last October, though no specific timeline had been provided at the time. Previously, in 2022, the government issued a tender for the lease or operation of a fourth ferry, but it failed to attract any bidders.

The three government-owned ferries were the first vessels built specifically for Gozo Channel. They were constructed at Malta Shipbuilding and entered service in March 2000, February 2001, and March 2002, respectively.