For those of you who may not know, the company of Virtu Ferries operates a catamaran service, between Malta and Sicily. The latest, however, is that the company has applied for a license to operate a fast ferry service between Malta and Gozo!
The decision comes after Ian Borg, the Transport minister, announced that the government will liberalise the fast ferry market between Valletta and Mġarr last month. The government has expressed that the fast ferry service should be operational by 1 June, 2021. According to Virtu, due to the short timeframe given, they will initially use one of its existing vessels, to operate the Valletta-Mġarr service. They will then review the possibility of commissioning a specific vessel for the route in the future.
The proposal was one of much controversy, after the Public Contracts Review Board decided back in 2019, that a contract awarded by the Gozo Channel to Island Ferries was null. Why? Well, reportedly, the contract agreement was concluded before a final decision was made.