Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2008 14:37:35 GMT 2
The following report was taken from the online newspaper, Corfu Today, Saturday 8th November.
New Ferry option for Corfu to Mainland
Sagiada of the Thesprotia yesterday afternoon visited the Prefect Stefanos Corfu Poulimenos accompanied by Christos antinomarchi Skourti to see up close the potential ferry connection to Corfu. The reason for this visit was the initiative of Municipalities of Corfu and Sagiada which was discussed recently at the Municipal Council of Corfu. From the visit and information made in the Prefect Mayor Sagiada Vangelis Mastoras and the Deputy Lambros Ferentinos note the following:
1. The distance Corfu - Sagiada is 12 miles compared to 18 which is the distance to Igoumenitsa.
2. The entrance to the port of Sagiada does not require slowing the speed of ships required by the channel of Igoumenitsa.
3. Port facilities and the available spaces of land area is able to meet the needs of an operation prorthmeiakis line.
4. Piraeus port operates Sagiada station and shops catering and entertainment which can serve the waiting passengers.
5. The line Corfu - Sagiada can be performed with open-ended ferry bot or both directions at a time ranging from 35-45 minutes.
6. The cost of fares - tickets can be at least 30% lower than the line of Igoumenitsa.
7. The Sagiada gradually transformed into a traffic hub linking of Greece with Albania and constructed with funding from the Greek state that the road linking the border with the Saints Mafromati Forty and will serve many of the Greek minority villages and beyond.
8. The Municipality has Sagiada special wharf for loading aggregates, which are already used in the construction of the extension of the breakwater for cruise ships in the port of Corfu.
9. As a major drawback recorded the situation of the road from Igoumenitsa to Sagiada stretching over a length of 20 kilometers and the path that takes time 15-20 minutes. This path has geometric characteristics of a provincial road that needs significant improvement or new design.
10. Significant quantities of agricultural products produced in the wider region of Sagiada and placed on Corfu's market could have reduced fares, which can lead to reduced prices for those products to the consumer.
The Mayor and the Prefect Sagiada undertook to explore further the existence of a business interest in launching a suitable ship to prothmeiaki line that will bring closer, faster and more cheaply Corfu to the mainland. The journalist, Mayor Sagiada Vangelis Mastoras, donated to the Prefect own two volumes of publications relating to the political history of Thesprotia and the local press of the county.
This region, Sagiada has been mentioned before as an alternative destination on the main land I think. What is your views on this additional option of a ferry route to the mainland. It appears from the report that is is possibly running from the North East area of Corfu.
An interesting article. A new jetty is being developed at Imorelia, North corner of Kassiopi, and does not impinge on the resort. It has been in use for several years now and used by all and sundry. In the last few years there have been quite a lot of coasters(landing craft style with bow ramps) bringing aggregates from the mainland. This has increased from one a week, to three a week of late. The cargoes are meant for the North of the island so if the jetty wasn't at Imerolia all that aggregate would have been discharged in Corfu town and trundled along the coast road to the North causing traffic problems. The jetty was used this year by a passenger ferry when the bus drivers were on strike. Passengers on change over days were taken there from the northern resorts of Sidari, Roda, Acharavi etc. and taken to Corfu town by sea and then on to the airport. I don't know how they got from the Port to the airport if the buses were on strike.
Yeiamas, Chris