Most of you would have used the Gozo Channel service and therefore almost all of you would have experienced missing a ferry and thus waiting that minimum extra 45 minutes for the next scheduled trip

For daily commuters this is the usual recipe of the day with the inability to plan one’s daily schedule. Room for improvement on the current service is an understatement.

The transport debacle for every commuter, especially Gozitans, is a big issue which is dictating their respective future life decisions. In my opinion it is not only the main cause of the much talked about brain drain from Gozo but also leading to several Gozo based individuals giving up a career and a well paid job for a lower and less paid job in Gozo. These individuals are destined not to fulfill their dreams or reach their career potential. Some keep on struggling to combine living in Gozo and a career in Malta at a great cost, mainly on their family commitments.

The channel transport service is key to the future of every Gozo based individual. Even though the service has improved considerably over the last decade, there is still a lot to be desired. The factor that worries and disheartens most channel commuters is the lack of predictability of the service which leads to a lot of frustration, heartache and annoyance. Time wastage is the order of the day especially in summertime when the higher demand is not met by the supply.

Time is money and this can be attested by any businessman or entrepreneur who has to commute between the islands. Getting in late to work and ending up on the bad books of his employer is always a worry for any channel commuter. So what can be done to improve the predictability, save weather conditions, of the service being offered by Gozo Channel Company? How can any individual based in Gozo have a peace of mind that he will get to his health check or catch a plane or any other important appointment on time?

In my opinion the availability of advanced booking of one’s place on a particular ferry would make a huge difference for all commuters. Real-time information and online services are almost non-existent for such an important transport company which for us Gozitans is the only connection to the rest of the world. Pre-online booking of a ferry, train or airplane service is normal practice worldwide rather than the first-come first-served policy of our channel company.

With pre-booking one can rest assured that he will have a car space booked on that particular ferry with the proviso that he turns up at the required minimum amount of time before departure. This would be a win-win situation. While the traveller can rest his mind that he will honour his appointment at destination, the Gozo Channel Company would be able to gauge the demand at any particular time and day and therefore avoid the rather common situations of crisis management. Crew members may then plan their off days better without the worry of being called on an urgent basis to help in scheduling an extra trip.

I would expect that only a certain percentage of the ferry would be bookable in order to retain the social aspect of the service.

We welcome the news that the Ta’ Pinu ferry will soon have its hoistable decks installed. I am quite sure that this will improve the efficiency of the service being offered but apart from coming at a hefty price from our coffers it is still not enough. Advanced booking is much cheaper and quicker to set up. Whether it would be at a premium is open to discussion. Definitely daily commuter conditions should be distinct from those of other travellers. Pre-booking would definitely help to decrease the unnecessary congestion in Mġarr or Ċirkewwa and time wastage for the traveller.

In the absence of advanced bookings the unpredictability of the service remains a worrying issue for most travellers and therefore the need for lots of people from various walks of life to require a priority boarding pass will remain irrespective of the number of hoistable decks installed. Priority passes are definitely not the fairest of systems but pre-booking is and has been in practice world-wide for donkey’s years.

This could be a wake up call for the Gozo Channel administrators to seriously entertain the possibility of ushering the company into the new millennium with online services including advanced bookings and real-time information.