Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1535434
3 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 16 MAY 2025 NEWS KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 EDITOR: PAUL COCKS Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt Gozo chamber says 'grave situation' at Mgarr and Cirkewwa terminals leading to long waiting times THE Gozo Business Chamber has slammed the "grave situation" at the Gozo Channel terminals at Mġarr and Ċirkew- wa. "The serious lack of planning and forward thinking which have undermined both the infrastructure and the service, show once again that Gozo is not being given the at- tention it merits," the chamber said. Longer queuing times stem from the MV Nikolaos being out of service from 5 to 19 May for maintenance. "Though the situation at Mġarr and Ċirkewwa has already reached the limit, and much harm has been averted through extensive coordination, the docking of the MV Nikolaos during the past weeks (until 19th May) has shown once again Gozo's vulnerability at its only access point in Mġarr, which is now very small compared to Gozo's needs and its expanding econo- my. The delays that have been experienced in the past weeks have negatively impact- ed the community and its economy," the chamber stated. It said there is a serious lack of transpar- ency in the way passes are being handed out to people to skip the queue. "Transparent and consolidated criteria which are publicly available should be in place, with Gozo Channel providing in- formation on the number of passes issued on a quarterly bases and the reasons why these are being issued. Passes should al- so be reviewed by an independent board at particular time intervals to ensure that these are not being abused or that these are not being used by other persons oth- er than those to whom they have been is- sued," the chamber said. It called for the car queueing area to be properly manned, the chamber is in- formed there have also been several in- stances where queues were skipped by ve- hicles entering the Ċirkewwa queue. "The Government must understand that Gozo completely depends on Mġarr Har- bour and the service being offered by Gozo Channel, and that this is the lifeline for both the economy and the community," the Gozo Business Chamber said. On the fast ferry, the chamber said the rising number of tourists visiting Gozo has resulted in Gozitan people being left stranded as the vessel was full. "Due to the success of the service, it is important to ensure that it continues to respond to the continuous changing ex- igencies of people travelling between the two islands," the chamber concluded. Press statements should include 'whole truth' – Gozo Channel In reaction to the chamber's comments, Gozo Channel specified the delays were caused due to the MV Nikolaos being out of service. Furthermore, it said the UHM (Union Ħaddiema Magħqudin) has issued direc- tives instructing workers to delay each trip operated by the company by five minutes. This has led to further delays and, conse- quently, increased complaints from pas- sengers, the company said. "This fact was not mentioned anywhere in the GBC's statement," it said, Regarding the Priority Boarding permits, Gozo Channel Operations Ltd insisted the procedures have always remained the same as they were even before 2013, and nothing has ever changed in this regard. "Gozo Channel Operations Ltd stresses that when a statement is issued, it should include the whole truth," the statement concluded. CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 In its decision, the court said the oper- ators will not suffer irreparable damages due to this new eco-friendly and sustaina- ble initiative by Team Blue Lagoon. It also observed "such protection of the Blue La- goon and Comino was in the national and general interest," adding that "it should also be of primary interest to those who earn their living around this island." The booking system aims to cap visitor numbers to 4,000 at any one time, with guests required to book one of three time slots online and present a QR code on ar- rival. The initiative is meant to tackle over- crowding and safeguard Comino's frag- ile environment. On its first day, 4,800 visitors reportedly used the system and received wristbands at the three official access points. However, the system drew swift back- lash. The Gozo Tourism Association (GTA), along with commercial vessel operators, said the implementation had been rushed and failed to reflect recom- mendations raised during consultations. Starting from next Monday, 19 May, visitors to the Blue Lagoon will once again be able to pre-book one of the three daily time slots through the free online book- ing system- bluelagooncomino.mt The proposal was also criticised by Nationalist MP Alex Borg who lament- ed that the system was discriminating against locals. The booking system aimed to cap visitor numbers to 4,000 at any one time, with guests required to book one of three time slots online and present a QR code on arrival. New limits to protect Blue Lagoon upheld by court