The General Directorate of Transport of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia has formalized the results of the tender for the 6-year concession of connections with the islands of La Maddalena, San Pietro and Asinara and started the execution of maritime transport services for passengers, vehicles and goods in territorial continuity between Sardinia and the smaller islands.
"With this award - declared the regional councilor for Transport, Barbara Manca - we are finally closing a long phase of uncertainty and continuous extensions, ensuring the communities of the smaller islands a stable, scheduled and long-lasting service . After five deserted tenders between 2022 and 2023 for the connections with San Pietro and La Maddalena, due to the structural difficulties of the European maritime market, the Region has continued to work with determination, defining a new tender that truly puts the right to mobility of citizens at the center".
The services will be provided by the Delcomar company for the connections with La Maddalena and San Pietro, while for Asinara they will be managed by the Ensamar company.
The total contract value is 189,853,953 euros for Lot 1 (La Maddalena and San Pietro) and 17,439,500 euros for Lot 2 (Asinara).
To ensure continuity of service beyond June 30, the expiry date of the technical extension currently in force, early execution has been ordered as a matter of urgency starting from July 1, 2025, pending the formal signing of the contracts, subject to the usual checks on the requirements declared in the tender.
"The result obtained - added the councilor - demonstrates that it is possible, even in a complex context, to build effective tools capable of meeting the interest of operators and finally giving certainties to the territories . This is not just a technical award, but a concrete step towards more equitable mobility for everyone, even for those who live in the most peripheral contexts of our region".
The Department of Transport - explains a note - "will continue to carefully follow the phases following the signing of the contracts and the start of the service in its new configuration, monitoring the quality of the offer and the regularity of the services".
(Online Union)