The Office of the Ombudsman has announced that to “ensure the safety of all aboard, a police officer has started being assigned to inspect Gozo Channel ferries daily between 8am and 6pm, to ensure that nobody remains inside their car with the engine still switched on.”

The initiative was started on the 18th of August following an investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman.

“This step is expected to bolster enforcement, ensuring compliance with ferry regulations and promoting the health and safety of both passengers and crew,” the Office said.

The investigation, it said, was carried out following the publication of a letter on the 2nd of August, in the Times of Malta from Mr Emanuel Galea of Victoria, highlighting a significant health concern on Gozo ferries.

The Office of the Ombudsman explained that the issue pertained to several vehicles that kept their engines running throughout the ferry crossing, exposing both passengers outside these vehicles and the Gozo Channel crew to potentially toxic emissions in an area with limited ventilation.

It said that, the letter further mentioned that “when the Gozo Channel crew attempted to address the issue with the drivers of these vehicles, they were often ignored.”

The Office of the Ombudsman, acknowledging the seriousness of the concerns raised by Mr Galea, said that it initiated a direct engagement with the Gozo Channel.

“The objective was to gain a deeper understanding of the established policies and measures pertaining to such occurrences,” it said.

Specifically, the Ombudsman’s Office said it “sought clarity on the Gozo Channel’s Shipboard Operating Procedures and any other related guidelines that address the issue of vehicles idling during transit and passengers staying on the car deck.”

Upon investigation, the Gozo Channel confirmed the existence of their Shipboard Operating Procedures, “which explicitly prohibit passengers from remaining on the car deck during ferry transit.”

The Office of the Ombudsman said that, “additionally, they provided a Fleet Letter that instructs crew members to inform passengers about the inherent risks and policy violations related to staying inside their vehicles with engines running.”

Permalink: Police on Gozo ferries ensure vehicle engines not kept running