The boats that rocked

How do ferry rates compare with services in four other countries, and are the Maltese really being duped into believing the ferry rates are acceptable?

The Gozo Channel provides a ferry service between Malta and Gozo that is subsidised by the government, allowing Gozitans to benefit from cheaper rates for a ferry every 45 minutes throughout the day and night.

Malta’s population was last recorded at 418,000, but around 3.5 million passengers and 900,000 vehicles use the ferries every year.

Fares for the service range between €1.15 to €15.70 and depend on your age, whether you are a Gozitan resident or not, whether you’re a pedestrian or vehicle and driver, and on the time of day. The service is also free or reduced with the Senior Card (Karta Anzjan).

On the other side of the world, the Washington State Ferries in the United States operates an altogether cheaper service when comparing prices with a journey every 55 minutes for trips lasting anywhere between 10 and 35 minutes.

Washington has a population of around 5.9 million people which is 14 times the size of Malta and around 26 million passengers and 11 million vehicles use the services on a yearly basis. However, the number of passengers allowed on the ferries could be reduced due to the increasing number of overweight passengers.

Italy and Sicily have Caronte & Tourist S.p.A. which runs a private ferry service across the Messina’s Straights with ferries leaving every 20 minutes between Villa San Giovanni and Messina.

The cost of the trip can range anywhere between €1 and €54, but this will depend on whether you are a pedestrian or driver with a vehicle as well the duration of your stay.

There is a State service but it suffers due to late trains which may cause a lagged service throughout the day because ferries are obliged to wait for trains to arrive before departing.

The population of Italy and Sicily is more than 61 million as of July 2011, and the Caronte ferry service carries around 3.7 million vehicles and 4.6 million passengers every year.

The Star Ferry service is provided in Hong Kong between Tsim Sha Tsui and Wan Chai or Central Hong Kong, but is restricted to pedestrians only with a service running every 10 to 12 minutes with journeys lasting around nine minutes each way.

The cost of travelling on the ferry ranges according to age and ability as well as the day of the week and the deck chosen for travelling. Fares can cost between €1.09 and €1.95 on weekdays or between €1.32 and €2.34 on weekends.

The service is incredibly popular with tourists as well as the locals and while the population for Hong Kong was recorded at 7.1 million in 2011, the number of passengers recorded was a whopping 30 million a year.

This number is constant, even though there are alternative ways of arriving to the same destination, even by car.

In Norway, there are several ferry services across the country but Fjord 1 offer a particular 15-minute journey between Solholmen and Mordalsvagen every 30 minutes.

Fares range between €1.69 and €3.38 for pedestrians and between €5.72 and €78 for vehicles, depending on their length.

Norway’s population amounted to almost five million according to statistics taken this month. Around 662,475 passengers and 759,564 vehicles use ferry services across the country on a yearly basis but numbers rely on weather conditions.

All the aforementioned countries offer discount cards to be purchased for anyone using the services on a regular basis. This discount is provided automatically by the Gozo Channel due to government subsidies.

While rates may be slightly cheaper in other countries at first glance, the Gozo Channel rates and time schedule reflect the number of yearly passenger numbers using the service and may also be considered cheaper than most.