The ferry that used to do the Motril-Melilla route has been replaced by a slower one that takes up to an hour longer to complete the crossing.

Up until now it was the FRS chartered ship, Golden Bridge, which took five hours, whereas the Vronskiy takes six hours to make the same trip.

Even with this slower ferry, the Motril-Melilla route is still the shortest one, when compared with Almería and Málaga.

The new ferry, Vronskiy, can carry up to 1,250 passengers and 354 vehicles as well as stowage room for 587 sq/m. It also has cabins, a bar, a kiddies’ area and a shop aboard.

So why the change? According to FRS the charter contract that they had for Golden Bridge, which has operated since June, has expired. During the last six month that it plied the route it carried nearly 80,000 passengers, which is equivalent to the entire population of Motril and Salobreña; man, woman and child.

The new line between Motril and Tangiers, using the Volcán del Tauce ferry, has meant an important increase in the number of passengers passing through the port.

In the meantime the Motril Port Authorities and the Ministry of Transport are reexamining the exclusion of Motril Port from the Central-Government subsidies (11m euros) granted to Almería and Málaga ports.

(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)