Two companies submit bids for fourth Gozo Channel ferry

Two companies have submitted bids to provide Gozo Channel with a fourth ferry on the Malta-Gozo route, the Ministry for Gozo announced.

The companies, Caronte e Tourist S.p.A. and Ragusa Xpress Ltd, submitted their offers before the tender deadline on Wednesday.

The contract, if awarded, will run for an initial period of two years and is expected to replace the current Nikolaos ship.

The additional vessel is intended to help meet rising passenger and vehicle demand on the busy route, while ensuring continuity of service as the existing fleet of the Ta’ Pinu, Gaudos and Nikolaos continues to operate.

The ministry said the evaluation process for the two offers is expected to begin “in the coming days and weeks”.

The chartering of a fourth vessel is being treated as a temporary measure until Gozo Channel Operations purchases two new ferries that will be permanently added to its fleet.

In January, the government announced plans for Gozo Channel to have two new ferries in its fleet by 2029.

One of the new vessels will be capable of carrying 250 vehicles and is expected to cost €65 million. It is intended to operate during peak traffic periods between Malta and Gozo.

The second vessel will carry up to 75 vehicles at a time and is expected to cost €45 million. The existing Gozo Channel vessels can each carry around 150 vehicles.

The government has also planned a €20 million upgrade of the company’s three existing vessels over a six-year period.

As part of the upgrades, one of the vessels will be modified to carry large cargo vehicles and will make two daily trips connecting the Freeport, Ras Ħanżir in Corradino and Mġarr harbour.

The frequency of these trips could be doubled during peak periods, the government had said.