Transport Statistics 2019 has just been released by the National Statistics Office and we have outlined some of the salient points related to Gozo during the reference year of 2018 on sea transport and vehicles, among others.

In 2018, the NSO report notes that on Gozo Channel there were increases of 7.5% and 7.0% registered in the number of vehicles and passengers respectively that crossed between the islands.

During 2018, the number of inter-island trips amounted to 23,619 (approximately equally distributed between both directions), this was up by 4.8% from 2017.

Moreover, the NSO noted that the average rate of passengers per trip increased to 244 in 2018 from 239 in 2017. The average rate of vehicles per trip amounted to 70, an increase of one vehicle over the previous year.

374,478 more passengers and 115,880 more vehicles were carried by the Gozo Channel ferries during 2018 when compared to 2017.

As expected, the NSO said that August was the month in which the greatest number of passengers and vehicles were carried between the two islands with a total of 620,042 passengers (+6.5% over 2017) and 172,120 vehicles (+8.3% over 2017).

The report also notes that the Malita sea vessel made most of the trips (4,734) and carried the highest number of passengers (1,271,772) and vehicles (362,335).

The Gaudos made the lowest number of trips (2,592) and, therefore, carried the lowest number of passengers (351,227) and vehicles (106,777).

The NSO report also noted that the stock of fishing vessels of all types in Gozo and Comino amounted to 617 in 2018.

Gozo was the only district that had more vehicles registered than registered citizens in the district, with data recording 107 vehicles for every 100 citizens, during 2018.

The highest ratio in this district was recorded in Ghasri with 245 vehicles for every 100 citizens registered in the locality.

Gozo did register the least amount of vehicles stolen during the year in question, with 12 vehicles.

The NSO noted that there were 737 traffic accidents in 2018, of which 100 involved injuries, against 844 accidents in 2017, when 96 involved injuries, with one fatality.

The highest number of accidents were recorded in Victoria at 253, followed by Xewkija with 127.

On the subject of contraventions – the NSO date show that the number of contraventions issued by Police in Gozo for 2018 stood at 1,863 this was up by 60 on 2017, when the figure stood at 1,803.

Then there is the number of contraventions issued by Wardens in Gozo for 2018, which stood at 5,899 this was down by 26 on 2017, when the figure stood at 5,925.

Contraventions issued by Transport Malta for 2018 in Gozo stood at 1,410, the NSO said. This was up by 204 on 2017, when the number stood at 1,206.

Victoria was placed 9th in the top 10 localities across Malta and Gozo for transport-related warnings, which numbered 437 during 2018.

Photograph by Alain Salvary

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