Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1543356
A permanent link be- tween Malta and Gozo, such as an undersea tunnel, will not be a priority for a future Na- tionalist government, with party leader Alex Borg instead pledging to strengthen ferry ser- vices. In a Q&A with the MaltaToday newsroom this week, Borg said the first priority should be strengthening essential service, before talks on a permanent link could be tenable. "Gozo should not be- come an extension of Malta. Gozo has its own beauty, identity, and character," he said. The PN leader said the party's first prior- ity would be to invest in new vessels between Malta and Gozo. "The government now ad- mits that for years we have made a mistake with Gozo. They say they will bring new ves- sels, but I hope this is not just PR before the next election." Borg was referencing the government's an- nouncement back in January, were it prom- ised the Gozo Channel would receive two new ferries in 2029. One of the ferries will be able to carry 250 vehicles at once and will cost €65 million, and this ship will be used during the peak hours of traffic be- tween the two islands. The other ship will be able to carry 75 vehicles at a time, and will cost €45 million. The cur- rent vessels in the Gozo Channel fleet carry 150 vehicles. Furthermore, the gov- ernment said the ex- isting three ships will undergo a €20 million upgrade over a six-year period. SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL FRIDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2026 • ISSUE 084 • PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY gozotoday LAURA CALLEJA lcalleja@mediatoday.com.mt €1.00 CONTINUES PAGE 3 CONTINUES PAGE 3 GOZO and Comino recorded a 20.1% increase in incidents, ac- cording to the latest data from the National Statistics Office (NSO). Overall, Malta reported 3,694 traffic accidents between Octo- ber and December 2025, a 6.7% decrease from the same peri- od in 2024. Northern Harbour remained the district with the highest number of accidents at 1,200 cases, nearly a third of the national total. Road traffic casualties also dropped by 10.8% to 332, in- cluding 103 grievous injuries. Among these, 60 were drivers, 12 passengers, and 31 pedes- trians, cyclists, or others. Two fatalities were recorded during the quarter, involving one male and one female driver. Gozo tunnel not a priority, ferries are, Alex Borg says Gozo records increase in car incidents, NSO says PN leader, Alex Borg (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)