By Sami Zaptia.
Tripoli, 13 October 2014:
Discussions with Maltese authorities on the establishment of a passenger ferry line from Tripoli to Malta . . .[restrict]were progressing, sources revealed today to Libya Herald.
The initial discussions, which included the likelihood of starting with the high speed smaller passenger only catamaran to Malta were positive, the Tripoli Council source told this newspaper.
The catamaran is able to cover the journey in 6-8 hours and has already been used during the crises to evacuate expats from Tripoli early this summer.
Historically, a catamaran service operated during the UN Lockerbie sanctions between Tripoli and Malta during the 90’s. Larger traditional ferries, able to carry both passengers and cars, used to take 12 hours to cover the journey from Tripoli to Malta.
Beyond the line to Malta, there are also discussions for ferries to run to Tunis and on to Morocco, as well as the possibility of a line to Alexandria, the source revealed.
The source admitted that there were obstacles, including the high insurance premium set for Tripoli by international companies at this time. [/restrict]
