OF JOSHUA ROSE CROSS
As if the specter of a possible contraction in tourist flows wasn’t already enough, the island of Ischia finds itself having to face another threat this summer, the possible blockade of the port of Pozzuoli due to bradyseism. In fact, the unstoppable rising of the land of the Phlegraean town, in addition to the understandable anxieties and anguish for the citizens of the Phlegraean area, obviously does not spare the port area where the effects have been visible – sensationally – for months: the small recreational dock in front in Rione Terra it is practically always dry while the seabed of the fishing quay also regularly emerges at low tide. Even the level of the docks where ferries to Ischia and Procida operate daily has risen by several centimeters, with easily imaginable consequences: it becomes more difficult every day to disembark and embark on ships bound for our islands. And if at the beginning the problem was only recorded for buses and large commercial vehicles, today it has often become the norm for cars too. In recent months there have been many videos, also circulating on social media, which testify to the complexity and length of the unloading and loading of vehicles in the Pozzuoli port, authentic vicissitudes which up to now have been patched up only thanks to the skill and experience of the personnel of shipping companies and drivers of heavy vehicles.
DOCKS TOO HIGH EVEN FOR CARS
Today however, after months and months of raising the ground, the docks of Pozzuoli are starting to become too high even for the cars which are finding it increasingly difficult to access or leave the ships so that embarkation and disembarkation times are lengthening dramatically; ships therefore depart and arrive after the scheduled departure times, accumulating enormous delays race after race. The phenomenon was presented in all its evidence during the recent Easter weekend during which the ships used on the routes arriving and departing from the Pozzuoli port very often traveled late, even significantly behind schedule, causing problems not only for those he traveled there but also to the island ports of arrival, putting the logistics both at the port and on land to the test, with long queues of cars waiting especially in Casamicciola. Considering that bradyseism is far from stopping, as evidenced by the recent and powerful telluric movements recorded in the Phlegraean area, it is therefore foreseeable that the difficulties will increase hand in hand with the level of the docks and this is definitely not good news for Ischia and Procida. In this regard, a necessary premise must be made: the current situation is a dejavu given that Pozzuoli began to deal with bradyseism already at the beginning of the eighties so much so that, in the period between June and November 1982, the raising of the ground at the port of Pozzuoli was so rapid and powerful that it was estimated at 15 centimeters.
THE (WORRYING) PRECEDENT OF THE 1980s
And even at the time the consequences for the regularity of the maritime transport service were serious but today, with much larger vehicles they are even more worrying especially if we consider that Pozzuoli is unquestionably the most important port for vehicular traffic for Ischia and Procida: from Most of the trucks with goods, buses and tourist cars, as well as those of people from Ischia and Procida, leave here every day. And Pozzuoli has earned this fundamental role for decades thanks to its geographical proximity to our islands which allows you to reach them from the mainland saving about half an hour by sea compared to the port of Naples. The shipping companies raised the alarm on the phenomenon last year with a letter that Medmar sent to the bodies involved for their competence and interest (region, maritime state property, island municipalities) and a few days ago they repeated the appeal. Between the two letters there were some conversations started, mainly with the region, which seemed to be a harbinger of possible decisive interventions which, however, did not arrive in the end.
THE NOTES AND THE ALARM LAUNCHED BY MEDMAR
“In relation to the letter sent to the SS. VV. in February 2023 this company represents the overall worsening of the operating conditions of the port of Pozzuoli” writes the company of the blue and white ships; “the resurgence of bradyseismic phenomena has in fact produced a further raising of the quays of this port with particularly serious consequences today for the regularity of our connection services carried out for the islands of Ischia and Procida. The height of the piers in the Puteola port currently makes the disembarkation and embarkation operations of vehicles very difficult, especially commercial vehicles and tourist buses, but also of the passengers themselves given the considerable difference in height that currently exists between the loading ramps and the edge dock. This situation causes a series of particularly worrying consequences: primarily damage to vehicles which – due to their characteristics – are more exposed to the consequences of the raising of the platforms.” Medmar then represents the possible, worrying scenario for this summer: “With the approach of the summer season and with the progressive increase in the flow of vehicles directed to the islands, we are forced, against our will, to record a progressive lengthening of the times necessary for disembarkation and subsequent embarkation of vehicles on board our ships. This phenomenon clearly manifested itself in the recent Easter weekend when significant delays were recorded for several journeys due precisely to the lengthening of the operations necessary for loading and unloading the ships’ garages and it also occurred in the case of cars”.
On the possible solutions the letter clarifies: “In recent months Medmar had started a discussion on this problem with the competent regional authorities which had also led to the identification of a possible solution to the problem, the installation of floating docks which could have neutralized the effects of bradyseism. To date, however, we must register a substantial stop to any hypothesis that could avoid the concrete risk that looms over maritime transport to Ischia and Procida for the summer: the indefinite extension of port operations in Pozzuoli which will have disastrous repercussions on the regularity of the service and also involving the operation of the landing places of Ischia Porto, Casamicciola and Marina Grande. In this regard, it is worth remembering, once again, that Pozzuoli remains the fundamental hub in the maritime transport system for Ischia and Procida, from which the vehicles transporting goods depart as well as a considerable number of tourists and islanders as well as and of commuters who guarantee the functioning of health facilities, schools, public offices and courts”. The letter ends with an explicit request: “For these reasons the undersigned company asks the SS. VV. of wanting to adopt all relevant measures that can lead to a rapid and effective resolution of the problem which concretely risks producing serious effects for many activities on the two islands of Ischia and Procida” which we believe we can associate with given the gravity of the situation.
Tags: Risk paralysis port Pozzuoli Golfo
