A seasonal passenger link between Greece and Cyprus could be restored soon.
The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM) has launched a tender process to reinstate a seagoing passenger link between the two countries.
It will be subsidised by state funds in accordance with European Union rules governing a Service of General Economic Interest of up to €5.5 mill for the three-year contract, with the possibility of an extension for another three years.
The service will be operated on a weekly basis between April/May and September/October.
Vassilios Demetriades, Cyprus Shipping Deputy Minister (pictured), said: “Reviving the ferry connection will help us to continue building our relationship with the rest of the Mediterranean and we welcome the opportunity to expand the ferry link to a third neighbouring country beyond Greece too.
“We also recognise that there will be higher demand during the summer season and, therefore, will consider a seasonal ferry connection to encourage a broader range of applicants for this tender. We believe this link will be hugely advantageous to the region as a whole, and look forward to reviewing the tenders in the new year.
“We previously opened the tender to comments and questions, which has allowed us to adapt the tender requirements based on industry feedback. This ensures we broaden the scope for more organisations to submit a tender. We invite all potential operators to submit a tender proposal and look forward to receiving submissions by 28th January, 2022,” he said.
The main tender provisions were presented during an open meeting on 29th November, 2021 in Limassol, Cyprus and on 2nd December, 2021 at Piraeus.
