315 Cruises, Two New Routes To Transport 3 Million Algerian Expatriates

National Shipping Company scheduled more than 315 cruises to transport the Algerian expatriates from Europe to Algeria with the launch of two new routes, while the Tarek Ben Ziad ships docked midday on Sunday, in the first flight after the fire that broke out in its warehouse last November.

On the sidelines of the reception of the vessel “Tarek Ben Ziad” from Marseille, France, Karim Bouznad, the Commercial Director of the National Passengers’ Transport Company, said that, as part of the expansion of its overseas network, this year two new routes were planned, linking the cities of Oran and Algiers with the Spanish Barcelona port, in order to enable many Algerian expatriates to move to and from Algeria.

Referring to the incident of the fire that hit the ship, Tarek Ben Ziad at the sea, when it was coming from the south of France, the spokesman said that the company was responsible for all the losses and compensation of customers, and the rehabilitation and maintenance of the ship, which returned to service normally on its first journey Algiers – Marseille.

“The company did not lose a single penny, and all the costs were paid by of the insurance companies, including the compensation of the customers”.

He explained that the ship returned to service in a new suit, to be used to transport passengers in Oran / Algiers lines towards Marseille, Alicante and Barcelona.

On the project of building the giant ship, which can accommodate up to 1800 passengers and about 500 vehicles, the source confirmed that the project will be delivered on time, after 26 months, according to the agreement that was signed between the Chinese partner and the Transport Ministry last March, while reveling the return of internal shipping lines in this summer, like the line of Ain al-Benyan – Tamanfoust, and Algiers – Bejaia line, and the launch of the Oran Ain Turk line.

The passengers aboard the ship Tareq Ben Ziad, coming from the French Marseilles, praised the renovation of the ship and told Echorouk that the ship returned after its maintenance and rehabilitation, including the warehouse where the fire broke out and was about to kill nearly 500 people at sea.