Piro (AP Nord Sardinia): "with september we close a dramatic season for the marine transport"



"With september we close a dramatic season for the marine transport". The phrase, pronounced from the president of the Harbour Authority of the North Sardinia, Paolo Piro, synthetizes how much has happened this year, also in the summer months, on the docks of the three Sardinian ports of Olbia, Golfo Aranci and Porto Torres.

In the first nine months of the 2011 three ports they have recorded altogether the ports of call of 8.072 ships of line, with a decrease of 12.2% regarding the correspondent period last year. Still more emphasized the decrease of the traffic of the passengers that is piled to 4.052.352 units, in bending of 23.2% regarding 5.273.203 passengers in the period January-september of 2010.

"The decrease of 23% on the three ports, and in particular that of 30% on Olbia - it has observed Piro - imposes adapted us countermeasures. A hemorrhage of beyond million and 220 thousand passengers in arrival and departure on three ports, million and 69 thousand one which to Olbia, it risks to being the prologue to a difficult winter season for the economy of the island".

"Today - it has added Piro - concrete certainties and solutions are not caught a glimpse. We assist to a phase of impasse in the Tirrenia event, to a slow down of the procedures for the launch of eventual the race winter of the flagship company, to the lack of vivacity of the other shipowners that, I understand, are found to get to terms with strong losses. I only hope that, shortly, lathes to shine a sun beam on this island".

In the first nine months of this year to the single port of Olbia 5,095 ships (- 18.8%) for a traffic of 2.451.190 passengers (- 30.4% are landed). In the single month of september the traffic has been of 671 ships (- 11.9% on september 2010) for a total of 316.273 passengers (- 33.6%). The Harbour Authority of the Sardinia North has remembered that the decrease of the traffic is generated by the suspension of two routes (Civitavecchia Olbia of the Snav and Genoa Olbia of Tirrenia), by October 2010 and for the first four months of 2011, and by the cancellation of diurnal tens of race in the summery period for deficiency of reservations.

The port of Golfo Aranci has closed the first nine months of 2011 with a traffic of 1.285 ships, with an increase of 8.5% on the same period last year. The traffic of the passengers but is diminished of 2.8% attesting itself to 836.250 units regarding 860.268 in the period January-september of 2010. Last month the traffic has been of 174 ships (+16.0% on september 2010) for total 125,815 passengers (- 1.3%).

Trend of the traffic negative also to Porto Torres where in the first months of the 2011 1,692 ships for a total of 764.912 passengers are landed, with decreases respective of 2.5% and of 14.3% on the same period last year. Last month the traffic has been of 219 ships (- 1.8% on september 2010) and 101,256 passengers (- 15.5%). The Sardinian harbour agency has explained that the decrease of the traffic is legacy, besides the crisis, also to the strong decrease of the connections in the "low season" (one of the two lines for Genoa is passed to trisettimanale and Civitavecchia - Porto Torres - Barcelona has only resumed in the late spring) and to the cancellation of tens of ports of call in the summery periods.

In the field of the traffic goods to Olbia, in spite of last the two months of stop, with respective losses of the -11,7% and -16,3% effect of the contraction of the question tied to the decrease of the presences in the island - the Harbour Authority has announced - the budget of the first nine months of 2011 remains positive: + 4.1% for a total of 4.730.452 of tons, about 187 thousand in more regarding last year.

Trend always negative, instead, for the traffic goods on track to Golfo Aranci. In the first nine months of this year, with a total hardly 75 railway wagons are recorded an ulterior collapse of 54% regarding 2010, risible percentage - it has emphasized the harbour agency - if parametrata to the traffics of years ‘90 (for example in 1995 the traffic had been of 52.245 railway wagons and 2.858.491 tons of goods).

Positive instead, in spite of a rest the field, small in September of the goods on rubberized in the port of Porto Torres: little more than 1,1 million the transported tons goods, 92 thousand in more regarding last year (+9.1%). Negative, against, handling of the bulk: less ships regarding last year (- 13.9%) and less transported tons than goods. If one excepts the increase in the months of May and september, the bulk sand banks (mainly coal and other minerals) is diminished altogether of 15.8%, pairs to about 186 thousand tons in less. More wide the scissor percentage between the two years in analysis for the liquid bulk (produced destined to the section of chemistry), that they are come down of 18.9%, that is 235,238 tons in less.

"In spite of last the two months of the reduction - it has found Paolo Piro - the field of the goods on rubberized in the ports of Olbia and Porto Torres resists to the general crisis. Unfortunately the decrease of presences and, consequently, the contraction of the question of assets, has had a strong repercussion on the logistics. But a positive course in order almost all the year leaves a margin positive consisting. Clearly that it does not have to wind down the guard and the agency is always active in the search of new connections, between all that marine railway between Porto Torres and Savona, previewed for 2012 and that will give breath to the Keller and will guarantee new Sardinian outlets to the goods and that, in program, between Livorno and Porto Torres".