Perhaps it had to go like this and perhaps the second attempt to try to entrust all the lots of the Campania Sea Metrò had been conceived and tailor-made so that at least one route would be entrusted. And that’s how it was. Even the second attempt by the Campania Region to award public contributions for the activation of sea metro connections, the summer maritime lines with some of its main tourist destinations saw the acceptance of only one proposal out of three. After the first tender gone deserted, the second edition ended unsuccessfully for two of the three lots into which the procedure was divided, relating respectively to the Cilento – Capri and Sapri – Capri – Naples Beverello sections, and to the ‘Vesuvian side’, i.e. for connections between Naples and Amalfi, with several intermediate touches. Launched by the institution with some substantial changes, i.e. a more generous contribution but only for one lot, coincidentally, with the activation of services in the summer of 2024 only. The tender amounts rise to 776,818 euros plus VAT, while the second provides for an allocation of 718,318 and the third of 421,890 euros. As a guideline, to compare with the previous (failed) tender, today a contribution of around 61 euros/miles is expected, while in the previous tender it was 57.6 euros, the second one rises to 49.6 euros compared to the initial 43.78 euros. For the third the increase is more than substantial from the initial 59.83 to the current 81 euros per mile. The three lots for services on the “Cilento side”, i.e. with the I between Salerno and the Cilento coast and between the same city and the Amalfi Coast, as well as with the II on the Cilento – Capri and Sapri – Capri sections – Naples Beverello. Similarly to the third lot of the “Vesuvian side”, for connections between Naples and Amalfi with different stopovers. For this new attempt, the institution has increased the value of the expected economic support, however limiting its duration to summer 2024 and not to the two-year period 2024- 2025 as in the previous edition. Precisely, we learn from the documentation made available in recent days, the tender now allocates an amount of 1.917 million euros, however in favor of the activation of the lines in the period 1 July – 30 September 2024. Previously it also included the activation of lines in 2025, starting next year as early as June 15th. It all depends on understanding whether the fixed increases will be sufficient to attract the interest of the operators, who in this case will have to come forward by next June 10th. Only one participant, Alicost, came forward for lot 1, relating to part of the services on the “Cilento side”. lines between Salerno and the Cilento coast and between the same city and the Amalfi Coast. The connections will last, for the current year only, from 1 July to 30 September. It is not a given that everything will be successful. Preliminary assistance was also needed for Alicost. In fact, the offer of the Lauro shipowner’s company, which had already been the beneficiary of other contributions, including the contribution for some lines with Cilento in the summer of 2022, presents for the tender commission some inaccuracies with respect to the administrative documentation, which should however be recovered and remedied. The unknown remains, and only the Campania Region will be able to decide, on the awarding of contributions on the abandoned lots. Last year, when the same tender was unsuccessful, Palazzo Santa Lucia decided for the negotiated procedure. Again through an open procedure, to then select the best offer with the criterion of the most economically advantageous offer, identified on the basis of the best quality/price ratio, proceeding “with the award even if only one valid offer has been received or remains in the tender”. The increase in the forecasts for the assignment of contributions to encourage the activation of summer maritime lines to some of its coastal tourist locations which will here they had not been considered attractive by the shipowners except for the islands of the Neapolitan gulf. A turning point in the procedures awaited by the tourist operators, but also by the users for a service that offers alternatives and functionality in terms of mobility for the Campania Region.
