Navigarda Rejects Claims of Ferry as a Long-Term Alternative for Gardesana

La Navigarda is ready to handle traffic between Riva and Limone (and vice versa) in the unfortunate event that the Gardesana Occidentale should remain closed for a couple of years. Absolutely not! Engineer Marcello Coppola, director of the navigation company, refutes the optimism of boat captain Francesco Bacchin, who in an interview with our newspaper claimed that Navigarda is prepared for any emergency.

Navigation Company’s Position on Emergency Management

“The policies and programs of Navigarda,” says Coppola, “are the responsibility of management, not captains; just as policies at Alitalia are not made by pilots. Once this is clarified, I must reassure all the administrators who, following Bacchin’s misleading statements, which risk creating false expectations among people, have called me alarmed. Navigarda is at the forefront in hoping for the reopening of Gardesana.

That said, it is clear that Navigarda always intervenes in emergencies. We have done it and will continue to do so: with the utmost commitment and availability. But to think that we could replace a road is a leap too far.” Engineer Coppola doesn’t go into details. But the message is clear. The effort in the ferry sector can be intensified, but not enough to substitute for the massive summer traffic of Gardesana. To imagine so is lunacy.

Limits and Considerations on Alternative Transport

Moreover, the docks of Riva and Limone were designed primarily for tourist passenger movement. Simply put, holidaymakers. Vehicles and goods require a road; otherwise, ports and local economies will come to a standstill. “Navigarda,” concludes Engineer Coppola, “does its duty and is very happy, for example, that a new ferry dock is planned for Malcesine in the near future. But miracles cannot be performed.”