Virtu Ferries blasts Gozo Channel for choosing inexperienced week-old company for fast ferry service

Virtu' Ferries has expressed its disappointment that Gozo Channel did not accept its bid to operate a fast ferry service between Malta and Gozo, and instead chose a company which it said was set up a week ago by people having no experience in the sector. Gozo Channel said on Saturday it had selected Islands Ferry Network, which is made up of Magro Brothers Investments Ltd and Fortina Investments Ltd. In a statement on Saturday, Gozo Channel said it had received seven offers for the service after a call for offers last February. In a statement, Virtu explained that according to Gozo Channel’s call for a partner company to operate the new service, the partner company was obliged to have “the necessary experience, expertise or resources to provide a fast ferry service” and it was expected “to meet the applicable specifications,requirements and criteria applicable for the fast ferry service as required by the tender”. The tender required the operator to have five years experience in ferry operation, and a minimum of 10 million euro in turnover. Thus, the successful candidate had to be an existing and well-established local or foreignhigh speed ferry operator.  Virtu Ferries said it...