Ponte Ferries Limited promised to commence services linking Valletta harbour to the Sicilian port of Augusta starting 5 days ago, on 6 August. But correspondence seen by this website shows that the day before the service was due to start, Ponte had not yet asked Augusta’s harbour master for permission to bring in passengers into harbour.
Other correspondence seen by this website shows that Italian health authorities and the port authority of Augusta had by 5 August not yet been asked by Ponte Ferries for permission to begin the ferry service due the next day.
Customers of Ponte Ferries have confirmed to this website that until 5 August they were still able to purchase tickets for the next day’s service. The tickets were being sold to them by a company that must have been entirely aware it would not be able to deliver the service it was selling.
Cross-border ferry passenger services cannot start before ferry boats are inspected by port authorities of the countries being connected by the service. This website is informed that Ponte Ferries has not yet made arrangements for port state inspection on the boat it intends to use for its Augusta service.
Its infrastructure also appears incomplete. These photos of Ponte’s still unfinished berth in Valletta show that the steel structure ramp needed for cars to board the ferry is still being constructed. The structure is not covered by a Planning Authority permit and an application for a “minor amendment” to cover the steel structure (described in the application as “demountable steel ramps”) remains pending.
The situation on the Augusta side appears even less mature. Ponte Ferries’ boat was seen in Augusta over the last four days and was this morning berthed against the quay it intends to use for its ferry service to Sicily. This photo was taken this morning showing that the quay still doesn’t have the ramp it needs to connect its onboard car garage.
In spite of its manifest state of unreadiness, announcing it would not be able to deliver on the ferry trips it had already sold to its customers, Ponte Ferries 5 days ago accused its “competitor” of blocking it using a “last minute legal challenge” in Sicily.
Long-standing inter-island transport provider Virtu Ferries faced considerable social media backlash for this and was forced to deny having taken any legal action to obstruct Ponte Ferries from delivering the service. This website has seen no evidence of any legal action asking the Italian authorities not to give Ponte a concession to provide passenger services to Augusta.
Virtu Ferries also has an ongoing application with the Augusta authorities to provide ferry services.
Ponte Ferries is a joint venture between Michael and Julian Zammit Tabona, hospital cleaning contractor Ozo, and the Gozo-based Magro business.
The Zammit Tabonas and Ozo, together with the Bianchi family operate the Gozo Fast Ferry in competition with Virtu.