The past two weeks have not been the easiest for those commuting between the islands on a frequent basis. With the incessant bouts of high winds causing one ferry to collide with a pier and another returned to its home port of Greece for some restoration works, the ferry service has been downgraded to just two operational ferries out of the four which commuters had grown accustomed to.
Earlier today, Gozo Channel issued a statement to inform commuters that the MV Nikolaus had re-joined its sisters MV Ta’ Pinu and MV Gaudos, to bring service back up to three ships.
The MV Nikolaos underwent some physical restructuring to “increase accessibility and passenger safety for all.” It is now decked out with a passenger ramp, meaning that foot passengers will no longer be required to board from the car ramp.
Although the ferry has been servicing the islands since summer, it is not officially part of the fleet and has been rented out to Gozo Channel in a bid to alleviate the long queues that gather in Cirkewwa, Malta and Mgarr, Gozo.
Queues will be decidedly shorter this festive season!