Moviment Graffitti is angered at the sudden and unjust reduction of the Gozo Fast Ferry service, a necessary link for students and workers commuting between the islands. The provision of this fast ferry service via two private companies that need to turn a profit, instead of a public service run for the common good, was a grave mistake from the outset that made the current flop inevitable.

Just 15 months after being inaugurated, the Gozo Fast Ferry, which was intended as an efficient game changer for commuting between the two islands, is facing a sudden excision of its service. Until last week, 12-13 trips a day were being offered by the fast ferry between Malta and Gozo. Suddenly, without prior notice, the Gozo Fast Ferry service was slimmed down to just five trips a day, with a couple of morning trips and a couple of evening trips.

Ironically, while this essential service is being allowed to falter, the government is proposing an unviable and destructive airstrip in Gozo in the name of improved connectivity between the islands.

This is an insult to all Gozitan and Maltese residents. Many over the past months have become increasingly reliant on the fast ferry, hoping to avoid endless traffic between the two islands by going directly to Valletta. Some have ditched their cars, and the ability to board the fast ferry by bicycle made it an attractive service to many bicycle users. Its sudden excision is unacceptable and needs to be reversed immediately.

Moreover, the government’s offer to subsidise companies that will improve their service in no way constitutes a long-term solution for the provision of an effective and affordable fast ferry. It also makes little financial sense for government to use taxpayers’ money to subsidise the profits of private companies when it can offer the service itself directly.

As an essential public service, the provision of a fast link between Valletta and Gozo should have been under public ownership from the start. The government’s insistence on approaching the private sector and then heavily subsidising the service when it flopped shows that its priority is, as always, business over the common good. 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, demonstrating how public services run by private companies actually make a service worse, not better.

As Moviment Graffitti, 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. Thus, the government should place the fast ferry under public ownership in order to ensure that the needs of the residents, not business owners, are put first.

‘Is-servizz ta’ vjaġġar rapidu bil-baħar bejn Malta u Għawdex għandu jsir servizz pubbliku’: il-Moviment Graffitti jħeġġeġ lill-gvern jieħu s-sjieda tas-servizz wara l-falliment tal-privatizzazzjoni

Il-Moviment Graffitti jinsab irrabjat għall-mod kif tnaqqas ħesrem u b’mod mill-iktar inġust is-servizz ta’ vjaġġar rapidu bil-baħar bejn Malta u Għawdex li kien neċessarju għall-istudenti u l-ħaddiema. Huwa ċar li kien żball gravissimu li servizz pubbliku u ta’ ġid komuni jitħalla f’idejn żewġ kumpaniji privati intiżi biss li jaraw il-qligħ. Dan wassal għal falliment inevitabbli.

Il-qtugħ sostanzjali fil-provvediment ta’ servizz li kellu jwassal għal bidla radikali fit-trasport bejn iż-żewġ gżejjer wasal 15-il xahar biss wara l-inawgurazzjoni tiegħu. Sal-ġimgħa li għaddiet kienu għaddejjin bejn tnax u tlettax il-vjaġġ rapidu bejn Malta u Għawdex. Is-servizz inqata’ mil-lum għal għada għal ħames vjaġġi kuljum sparpaljati bejn l-għodwa u filgħaxija.

L-ironija hi li fl-istess waqt li l-gvern qiegħed iħalli dan is-servizz jikkrolla, għaddej jipproponi l-proġett distruttiv u xejn vijabbli tal-mitjar f’Għawdex u qiegħed jippreżentah bħala proġett li ser itejjeb it-trasport bejn il-gżejjer.

Dan insult għar-residenti kollha ta’ Għawdex u ta’ Malta. Tul iż-żmien li ilu għaddej is-servizz, ħafna saru jserħħu fuqu sabiex jevitaw it-traffiku kbir bejn iż-żewġ gżejjer u jaslu dritt il-Belt. Uħud setgħu b’hekk iwarrbu l-karozzi u dawk li jużaw ir-roti tħeġġu mill-fatt li s-servizz jista’ jintuża bir-rota wkoll. Fid-dawl ta’ dan, il-qtugħ fil-provvediment tas-servizz mhuwiex aċċettabbli u għandu jiġi rimedjat mal-ewwel.

Barra minn hekk, il-proposta tal-gvern li jissussidja l-kumpaniji li jtejbu s-servizz tagħhom mhix soluzzjoni dejjiema għal servizz ta’ trasport rapidu effettiv u affordabbli. Ma jagħmel l-ebda sens li l-gvern juża t-taxxi tal-poplu sabiex jissussidja l-qligħ tal-kumpaniji privati minflok joffri s-servizz direttament hu.

Is-servizz ta’ vjaġġar rapidu bil-baħar bejn Għawdex u l-Belt huwa essenzjali u kellu jkun taħt sjieda pubblika mill-bidu nett. Il-fatt li l-gvern insista li javviċina l-ewwel lis-settur privat u li jissussidja s-servizz wara li dan falla juri l-prijorità tiegħu hija l-qligħ tan-negozji privati u mhux il-ġid komuni. Il-privatizzazzjoni ta’ dan is-servizz malajr wasslet għal żieda fit-tariffi u l-eliminazzjoni tal-karta TalLinja li kienet tippermetti li s-servizzi tat-trasport pubbliku jaqgħu taħt kappa waħda. Dan juri li meta servizz pubbliku jitħalla f’idejn kumpaniji privati jmur għall-agħar mhux għall-aħjar.

Nitolbu l-gvern jieħu azzjoni immedjata sabiex jiżgura li l-iskeda tmur lura għal li kienet fil-qafas ta’ servizz li jpoġġi l-ġid komuni l-ewwel. Il-gvern għandu jieħu s-sjieda tas-servizz sabiex ipoġġi quddiem il-bżonnijiet tar-residenti u mhux tan-negozji.