New Fast Ferry Links Sliema, Buġibba and Gozo

A new subsidised fast ferry service linking Tas-Sliema, Buġibba and Gozo was inaugurated in Buġibba on Tuesday morning, with Prime Minister Robert Abela presenting it as the latest addition to Malta's expanding sea transport network. The launch follows a nine-month postponement from the originally planned start and places Sliema on a new three-point route intended to connect the harbour area, the north and Gozo through a single service.

Abela said the route forms part of the government's 15-year Malta in Motion transport plan and described it as another step in the country's maritime transport strategy. He added that the existing fast-ferry link between Valletta and Gozo carried 1,025,000 passengers last year, using that figure to argue there is already clear demand for more alternatives to road travel.

Transport Minister Chris Bonett said the new route is meant to show the government's preference for measures it says can be delivered in practice rather than headline promises. He also announced the start of a new circular bus service in Buġibba timed to support the ferry operation, part of a wider push to connect sea transport more closely with land-based public transport.

Transport Malta chief executive Kurt Farrugia described the service as a more comfortable, quicker and less stressful option for passengers, while Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri was also present for the launch. The government's pitch is straightforward: if more commuters and inter-island travellers shift onto routes like this one, congestion on Malta's roads should ease without waiting for a single large-scale transport project to do all the work.