Tal-Linja Bil-Baħar stuck onshore

A new fast ferry service intended to link Sliema, Buġibba and Gozo has yet to materialise, more than six months after it was due to begin operations.

The service, nicknamed Tal-Linja Bil-Baħar, announced in July by Transport Minister Chris Bonett, was meant to start operating in August and provide an alternative to Malta’s congested road network. Instead, the project has stalled after a poorly drafted tender issued by the transport ministry triggered a legal challenge that remains unresolved.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the tender was blocked almost immediately after publication by private operators, who objected to what they described as restrictive and uncompetitive conditions. Supreme Travel Ltd, which operates ferry services, known in the industry as Ta’ Ċanċu, filed a formal objection, bringing the process to a halt.

The dispute is now before the Public Contracts Review Board (PCRB), the government-appointed body responsible for adjudicating procurement challenges. However, despite being aware of the objection since the summer, the board has yet to convene a hearing, leaving the tender in limbo.

During the inauguration of a new breakwater in Buġibba in July, Minister Bonett had publicly confirmed that the ferry service would begin the following month, connecting the newly built jetty to Sliema and Gozo. Similar services have long operated successfully between Valletta and Gozo, supported by state subsidies.

In its response to the objection, the transport ministry acknowledged that the tender had been prepared hastily and said it was willing to amend the timeline to address the concerns raised. By then, however, the process had already been derailed, delaying the launch of the service indefinitely.

Sources within the ministry said the tender remains in the same position as when it was first published, with no government intervention to resolve the legal impasse.

The minister has declined to give a revised timeline for the project or to confirm whether the service will be operational by next summer, a full year after the original launch date.

Despite the setback, Bonett has recently promoted plans for a similar fast ferry link between Marsascala and Valletta. The proposal has drawn criticism from residents and opposition figures, who have raised concerns over planning decisions, the construction of a new jetty and what they describe as a pattern of poor project management.

All proposed sea transport links are expected to be operated by private companies but supported by substantial public subsidies. This model is already in place for the Valletta-Mġarr fast ferry route, which has become a popular alternative, especially for tourists and visitors.