Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546525
VICTORIA has taken another step towards its bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2031, with the capital's local council receiving the final Bid Book from the Victoria 2031 Foundation. The document brings togeth- er the work, ideas and plans developed over recent years as part of Victoria's bid for the ti- tle. The final Bid Book was pre- sented by Victoria 2031 Foun- dation chair Samuel Azzopardi to Victoria mayor Brian Azzo- pardi. The council said the Bid Book goes beyond being a candida- ture document, setting out Vic- toria's vision for the city's fu- ture and the role culture could play in its development and community life. The bid also aims to raise the profile of Victoria and Gozo within the European cultural scene. "Victoria's candidature is the result of several years of work and collaboration involving in- dividuals, organisations and in- stitutions, who contributed to developing the bid," the council said. The final Bid Book has now been submitted to the Euro- pean jury, with a decision on which city will be named Eu- ropean Capital of Culture 2031 expected on 23 September. 6 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 11 SEPTEMBER 2026 NEWS Victoria submits final Bid Book for European Capital of Culture 2031 bid Victoria has taken another step towards its bid to become European Capital of Culture in 2031, with the capital's local council receiving the final Bid Book from the Victoria 2031 Foundation Ferry services to operate on extended hours until end of October FERRY services to Valletta and the new fast ferry linking Sliema to Gozo via Buġibba will run for longer hours, operating late into the evening until the end of Oc- tober. The new timetable is intend- ed to give passengers more flexibility to use the ferry later in the day and further promote public transport as a viable and convenient alternative to pri- vate cars. The extended summer time- table will remain in place un- til 31 October 2026, when the winter schedule comes into ef- fect. The new winter timetable will also include additional trips, with the government saying this will allow the service to better respond to passenger demand and changing travel needs. Transport Minister Chris Bonett said the measure would strengthen connectivity be- tween localities and the Mal- tese islands. He pointed to the Sliema- Buġibba-Gozo route, intro- duced in May, which he said had proved particularly popu- lar. "Within three months of in- troducing this route at the be- ginning of May, around 250,000 passengers used it as part of their journey… This clearly shows the demand that exists for transport services that are reliable, efficient and give peo- ple an alternative to the private car," the minister said. Bonett said government would continue investing in and supporting services de- signed to make it easier for people to choose alternative modes of transport and reduce their reliance on private vehi- cles. Transport Malta CEO Le- onid McKay said the increase in passenger demand required Government to respond with greater frequency and choice. "When demand grows, Government must respond with more service and more choice… The passenger figures using the fast ferry clearly show that people want alternatives to the private car," McKay said. He said the additional trips and longer operating hours would strengthen connectivity between Malta and Gozo, as well as between communities and the island's harbours. "This is not simply a timeta- ble change but an investment in a more modern, efficient and reliable transport system," McKay said. "More trips, more flexibility, more choice, be- cause public transport should work for the people." Under the extension, each harbour ferry service will op- erate three additional trips, while the Fast Ferry service will add two trips to each route de- parting from Valletta and from Sliema and Buġibba. Transport Minister Chris Bonett said the measure would strengthen connectivity between localities and the Maltese islands The final Bid Book was presented by Victoria 2031 Foundation chair Samuel Azzopardi to Victoria mayor Brian Azzopardi