This is happening despite the action that has been taken by both Gozo Channel and WasteServ Ltd, which is responsible for waste management. It is apparent that although all precautions are being taken, the problem persists.
The rubbish trucks began being transported over to Malta on 30 April, after the Qortin landfill in Gozo was closed. The issue was also raised in parliament, shortly after the first trucks were transported, by Labour MP Justyne Caruana, herself a Gozitan. She even repeated the complaint last week during the eco-contribution discussion.
In early July a reader called to complain that the day before on the 7.30pm ferry, five rubbish trucks were transported, “filling the whole boat with an unbearable stench,” he said.
When TMID contacted WasteServ and Gozo Channel for their comments, both of them replied with detailed information. In fact, three trucks were transported and not five, Gozo Channel and WasteServ reports said. WasteServ even give us the registration numbers of the vehicles. We corroborated the information with other eye-witnesses who were at Cirkewwa harbour when the trucks were being loaded that day.
The rubbish trucks are subject to rigorous checks before they are allowed on to the ferries, Gozo Channel chief executive officer Marvic Fenech Adami confirmed. “That is a precaution our company takes; if the trucks do not meet these conditions they are simply not allowed on board,” he said.
Among the measures taken, Mr Fenech Adami said in an email to TMID, are the following: The vehicle carrying the waste must be disinfected before leaving the plant and boarding the vessel, and the container in which the waste is being carried should be given a distinct number so that it can be easily traced. It should also be adequately sealed so that no liquids or odours come out of the vehicle, and the hatch should be covered so that the garbage will not be visible.
WasteServ performs random checks on the vehicles on a regular basis, from which it has been confirmed that the vehicles were always clean, the hatch adequately covered and no excessive smells are being emitted from the vehicle. However, this is at odds with the substantial number of complaints from passengers who have boarded the ferries when the rubbish was being transported. Since 7 July, TMID has contacted a number of witnesses, mostly Gozitans, to verify complaints about the bad smell on board the Gozo ferries.
TMID contacted Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) President Joe Muscat for his comments. Mr Muscat confirmed that a number of their members had alerted the association about the matter. “The number is not overwhelming,” said Mr Muscat, when prompted by TMID, “but this does not mean that the complaints are not significant.”
The closure of the Qortin landfill and the transportation of waste off the island was a blessing for Gozo, he explained, adding, however, that the complaints were legitimate and could have a negative effect on the tourists who visit the island.
Once the terminals are completed, the problem could be solved, he said, because most of the passengers will not need to go through the garages to board the ferries but will have direct access to the decks. However, it is going be take a while before the terminals are ready and a solution must be found in the meantime.
The rubbish trucks usually board the ferries between 6pm and 7pm, when it is still rather hot, TMID was told, and the unpleasant smell coming from the rubbish trucks has worsened as the summer heat set in.
A Gozo Channel employee confirmed that checks were being carried out on the vehicles before boarding but added that the odours coming from the trucks have worsened with the rise in temperatures.
A Gozitan police officer, who did not wish to be identified, told TMID that an increasing number of unofficial reports were reaching police officers. In the main, people report that the smell, below deck is, at times, absolutely unbearable.
A man boarding the ferry just behind a truck said that on the quayside, the smell is not very noticeable. However, when the trucks board the ferry, the entire garage is filled with a stench. The smell below deck is even worse than the one when animals are being transported, he said.
Passengers should not remain on the car deck for safety reasons. However, both those travelling with a vehicle, and those on foot, pass through the garage when boarding and leaving the ferry.
On certain days, the number of tourists, especially students, who travel to the sister island on foot, is quite substantial. These passengers usually head for the garage a few minutes before the ferry actually berths. In addition, all passengers – whether with a vehicle or on foot – have to go through the garage to get to the upper decks and the cafe area.