Government employees also worked hard to complete the new berth at Cirkewwa that has been opened for access by Gozo Channel Ltd since last Monday.
The Malta Maritime Authority has also re-opened the old marshalling area. The total marshalling area, including the old section and the new area, which was constructed on 11,500 square metres of reclaimed land, can now accommodate around 300 cars which is roughly equivalent to the capacity of three Gozo Channel vessels.
There were not many cars queuing up yesterday, but the bulk of passengers are expected to travel to Gozo today ‘after work’ as the majority say.
The area was certainly a lot more orderly than it had been in the past. The bus terminus is now situated on reclaimed land while the old marshalling area and the new one will both be used for cars to queue up.
The coaches also have their own waiting area, as shown by the photograph accompanying the story, in which an enterprising driver took cover in the luggage storage area for a short rest before his passengers returned from Gozo.
A spokesman for Gozo Channel said that there would be no additional boats specifically for the Santa Marija feast weekend. “However, if we see that the queues grow to a certain size, we will use the third boat to operate a shuttle service to and from Gozo,” he said.
The spokesman said that this was always the case. “We always operate a third vessel, if the need arises and if we have a vessel available,” he said. He pointed out that the same additional service was available every weekend.
The spokesman said that the shuttle service will be operated subject to demand, and of course, subject to the availability of vessels. He explained that Gozo Channel operates a cargo service from Sa Maison from Monday to Friday.
Meanwhile, restaurants in Gozo,
particularly Xlendi, Victoria and Marsalforn have decked out the pavements with as many chairs and tables as they can fit. Fruit vendors are already out in their masses to sell fresh fruit to those arriving. And countless small signs have sprouted up here, there and everywhere to announce farmhouses or flats for short lets over the Santa Marija weekend.