"What happened in the maritime connection between Sardinia and Corsica in view of Pope Francis' visit to the French island is yet another sign of the fragility of the route that connects the two islands. An issue that we have been dealing with almost daily since we took office as the Council and that shows its critical issues more and more every day."
This was stated by the regional councilor for Transport Barbara Manca following the cancellation of the connection between the two islands today, the day before the meeting with Pope Francis in Ajaccio which was also supposed to be attended by Sardinian citizens including clerical figures, pilgrims, journalists and other operators.
"The Bonifacio-Santa Teresa di Gallura line, the official one operated by Moby in territorial continuity - explains Councilor Manca - has been out of order for about a month due to the failure of one of the very few ships with adequate dimensions and the necessary international certifications. A situation that has already triggered the necessary checks by the Sardinia Region to evaluate the application of the sanctions provided for by the service contract in the event of suspension of the connection. The stopgap solution, prepared outside the service contract by the Moby company with the launching of the Zaza ship between Porto Vecchio and Golfo Aranci, is also affected by other critical issues due to the characteristics of the French port when adverse weather conditions occur. In fact, following the reports received, we contacted the shipowner and learned from the latter that the French authorities of the port of Porto Vecchio would not allow the vessel to enter the port, causing the cancellation of the trip and the consequent inconvenience for those who would have wanted to go to the nearby island on the occasion of this important event. We immediately contacted the Corsican authorities to get feedback on what is happening."
"This is yet another inconvenience experienced by passengers on this maritime route - concludes the Transport Councillor - proving how necessary it is for all interested parties, regional executives of the two islands and national governments of the two countries first and foremost, to sit down at a table to find a definitive solution to the long-standing problems recorded. We must deploy all possible energies to save a vital connection for the economy of the two islands".
(Online Union)