The Gozo University Group said in a statement tonight that it “severely condemns the act of the chairman of the Gozo Channel Company as describes in some media today, it is a shameful and disrespectful gesture towards the Gozitan society.”

GUG said that “on a daily basis Gozitan youths, students and workers have to face the situation of missing the ferry because of mismanagement and lack of interest from the Gozo Channel administration. Incidents opposite to the one that has been described today, is that of having the ferry departing prior to the schedule time-table while space is still available to take vehicles, not referring to when the ferry is working on a shuttle service.” GUG continued, “also when the Gozitan workers returning back to Gozo arrive at Cirkewwa by public transport or while transferring themselves from the bus to the quay, being noticed by the operations management of the Gozo Channel who order the ferry ramp to close instead of waiting for a minute or two for the arrivals, surely that takes much less time then that taken for the ferry to go back for the Chairman? This is an unacceptable situation that will make the Gozitan wait another hour or so for the next ferry,”

“After learning that the Chairman of the Gozo Channel does not know that the company changes to the winter schedule and also that he does no know the winter time table that he is supposed to approve before being made public” GUG continued that it “questions whether Dr Grech is aware of the administration of the company decision, which will affect Gozitan’s life.”

“Nonetheless,” GUG said it “still believes in the service being offered by Gozo Channel and thus would like to offer solutions to problems like these that are faced by Gozitan youths, students and workers on a daily basis. GUG firmly thinks that competent people should be administering such an important and vital service.”

“Also this vital service should be investing and creating incentives, an urgent priority of investment should be in youths for the island of Gozo, in understanding that Gozo is being visited more by elderly people then by youths because the elderly are given a free ticket while presenting Karta Anzjan. Thus GUG proposes that in presenting the Student Card and Karta Anzjan a fare of 1euro should be introduced for all students, being Gozitan and Maltese and also elderly people.”

GUG said, “such measures will surely be beneficial to the Gozitan economy since they will be encouraging more students and youths to commute. The young generation, unlike most of the older generation, has not yet built a capital during the life. Therefore, students that are not working will surely appreciate these new measures that facilitate their financial situations, particularly in the financial crisis, “Furthermore,” GUG said it “suggests that an online booking system should be developed and thus reminding people about the schedule of the service which will prevent a stressful situation, that of queuing and wasting time.”

The Gozo University Group concluded that it “insists that such measures should be immediately introduced and to be seriously taken by the authorities responsible.”

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