Saint Teresa Gallura. Years pass, but the ferry Giraglia continues to be a thorn in the side of the maritime link between the Sardinia and the Corsica. The company ship Moby – for a change – it has been stuck in the pits with a breakdown since June 14th and should remain on site for at least another month. It means that the entire amount of traffic between Saint Teresa Gallura And Boniface weighs on the hold of the ferry Ichnusaarmed by the shipping company of the same name from the ashes of the old one Saremar. Too little and as usual it is commercial traffic, i.e. hauliers, who pays the price. There is no longer any place for them and working becomes impossible. Several dozen machines, including articulated vehicles and small vans, which supply goods of all kinds, from food to handicraft products.
On the dock, in the port Longonsardo, there is an air of revolt and sensational protest demonstrations cannot be ruled out in the middle of the tourist season. «It’s business as usual – he complains Gavino Peigottu, by Ozieri, spokesperson for the hauliers working between Sardinia and Corsica – the Giraglia stops and the only ship covering the Santa Teresa-Bonifacio route is the Ichnusa, which takes over the entire traffic of the Moby, especially passengers with cars in tow, and there’s nothing else on board. It’s a small ferry and articulated ones like mine can’t even fit in the hold, which is too low. So we stay on the dock waiting, in theuncertainty, the next race. Also keeping in mind that the Corsican municipality, in Bonifacio, allows the embarkation and disembarkation of commercial vehicles on the first and last journeys, to avoid disturbing residents and tourists. In short, a series of conditions and problems that no longer allow us to work.”
The Giraglia ferry has a long history of breakdowns, technical problems and missed departures due to bad weather which shakes the Mouths. A rather old ship (it entered service in 1981), it spends more time in the shipyard than sailing at sea. Even 50 days of stoppage during a season despite the public service obligations imposed by the regional tender for the assignment of the service. “The problem is that there is no valid alternative due to a poorly executed regional tender – continues Gavino Peigattu –. The Ichnusa is not good for commercial traffic and the Bastia, which had already operated a replacement service, is even worse. To reach Corsica there would also be a line from Porto Torres to Ajaccio, but that’s not good either because it’s weekly and costs double, 600 euros, an unsustainable sum. So much for territorial continuity. So we are stopped on the dock waiting, uncertain of finding a place on board the Ichnusa. In the meantime we are losing our customers and our jobs.”
