Straw poll. Gozo bridge proposal.

i suppose i would prefer to see and use a bridge.

I agree with you that it will change and possibly spoil Gozo but from a practical and access point of view it will make travel between the two islands quicker and smoother and make the two islands more united as one country which should be a positive thing.

From a financial point of view its a complete non starter.

I believe will be opposed by a clear majority of Gozitans, but on non-financial grounds, the financial grounds having nothing to do with them as they will assume the EU (AKA Germany) will pay for it.

Re: financial arguments, I was thinking more of the perceived increase in income from more visitors and some more work opportunities for Gozitans.
As I wrote, I hope they do not link the islands.

redmik wrote:

I was thinking more of the perceived increase in income from more visitors

If there are more visitors, I dont think they will spend much more , plus it might also mean Gozitans spend less in Gozo

georgeingozo wrote:

redmik wrote:

I was thinking more of the perceived increase in income from more visitors

If there are more visitors, I dont think they will spend much more , plus it might also mean Gozitans spend less in Gozo

Good points.

tearnet wrote:

A bridge construction work would have a big impact both visually and on the ecology of Comino. A tunnel would be less obtrusive but would be a massive engineering undertaking and take a lot longer to construct. I just hope that its not  Maltese company that builds either!
Economically it  may not have as bigger impact as people think because people will be less inclined to stay overnight if they can just drive back to Malta.

Terry

If a bridge or tunnel leads to more people crossing the channel, I suspect it will be more Gozo residents going to Malta than the other way round. Also, without knowing the cost of using a fixed link, its difficult to say if more or less people will cross the channel. On a fully costed basis, the price to use a bridge/tunnel could well be higher than the ferry currently.

Also what happens if the tunnel/bridge is closed due to an accident or leaks/ cracks/whatever ? The ferries won't be around any more as it wouldnt be feasible to operate both

tearnet wrote:

Economically it  may not have as bigger impact as people think because people will be less inclined to stay overnight if they can just drive back to Malta.

agree - it could easily be a net negative to the Gozo economy

Gozo channel carries 3.5m passengers and 900,000 vehicles a year - assuming € 5 per passenger and € 15 per vehicle (rough figures, and excluding the government subsidy for Gozo residents) = € 30,000,000 approx income per annum.

Assume tunnel costs a billion and lasts 50 years, and cost of borrowing of 5% - thats € 70,000,000 annual costs excluding maintenance and staff etc.

Wouldn't it put the ferry companies out of business and loss of jobs me thinks.

MalteseCross wrote:

Wouldn't it put the ferry companies out of business and loss of jobs me thinks.

At a guess, would lead to 2 out of 3 ferries being withdrawn (I presume one would be used for cargo to Valletta), and, yes, a loss of jobs.

There is also a proposal to introduce fast ferries on to a Gozo to Valletta service. If it was a fast and regular service I am sure it would be attractive to both tourists and workers.

Terry

there used to be a catamaran Gozo -Valletta, but it was stopped about 10-12 years ago - not sure why stopped.

Chinese construction company preparing Gozo bridge feasibility study blacklisted by World Bank following fraud probe.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdet … k-20130617

Why am I not surprised?

Another option that has not been discussed yet and would have a twofold advantage over either tunnel or bridge is to fill in the gap between the islands! All the government needs to do is put up "no dumping signs" at the ferry terminal within a year there would be so much rubbish that once flat you would be able to drive over to Gozo, this would rid the island of the need for an incinerator as the Maltese would carry on dumping forever.:

top:

Terry

redmik wrote:

Chinese construction company preparing Gozo bridge feasibility study blacklisted by World Bank following fraud probe.

http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/en/newsdet … k-20130617

Why am I not surprised?

theyd fit in quite well here then....