New passenger ferry landing site facilities in Marsamxett

As of this week, passengers using the sea transport service between Valletta and Sliema will be making use of new facilities.

Over the last few weeks, Infrastructure Malta has wrapped up the first phase of the Marsamxett ferry landing site project, with an investment of around €200,000. The new facilities have now been transferred to the remit of Transport Malta and the Valletta Ferry Services operators. These new facilities are used around 25 times daily by the ferries operating this service.

“Our vision goes over and above the improvement of road infrastructure. We believe that we must continue working to incentivise the use of alternative means of transport. The public transport service is witnessing positive yearly increases in figures. Last year, we achieved a record of more than 53.4 million passengers. We must, however, remember that public transport also includes ferries, and here, we also witnessed a total of 1.6 million passengers in 2018 – an increase of almost 25 per cent over the previous year. That is why the government is investing in this service, and we have started by improving existing ferry landing sites,” said Transport, Infrastructure and Capital Projects Minister Ian Borg.

During the first phase of the project, Infrastructure Malta’s maritime infrastructure section modernised berthing facilities and built structures and safer and more accessible ramps so that passengers can get on and off the ferries with improved comfort. The second phase, which is expected to start in the near future, will see the creation of sheltered facilities for those waiting to board the ferries.

Works carried out in the past months include repairs on the existing quay, the introduction of ramps and mechanised walkways, and the installation of other structures related to berthing. The area on land where passengers wait to board was also rearranged to improve accessibility. Railings were added for improved passenger safety.

As a result of these new facilities, ferries can dock at the stern side, making it possible for both walkways to be used at the same time. At the same time, ferries no longer need to be moored to the quay before picking up or dropping off passengers – which reduces the risk of service delays.

The mechanised walkway creates the possibility for all passengers, even those with mobility issues, to have more comfortable access to the ferries providing this service. The new walkways also have a mechanism which compensates for tidal changes, so they can always remain accessible to everyone.

These projects are co-financed by the EU’s European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF).