SUDDEN changes to Condor Ferries sailings over the festive period have been branded “unsatisfactory” by the Economic Development Minister.
Brittany Ferries, the parent company of Condor, has meanwhile apologised for any inconvenience caused by schedule changes, stating that cross-Channel capacity has in fact been increased over the Christmas and New Year period.
Deputy Montfort Tadier asked the minister an urgent oral question in the States Assembly yesterday morning after it came to light earlier in the week that Condor Ferries had altered the Commodore Clipper timetable.
A passenger due to travel on Condor phoned the JEP newsdesk on the same morning, commenting that “to do this at Christmas is shocking”. She said she was due to travel next month, and she had lost the cost of her hotel and raised concerns about a lack of communication.
There are now two ferry sailings for passengers and vehicles on the Clipper between Jersey and the UK per week in the first two weeks of December.
Deputy Tadier – who is also chair of the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel – asked whether there had been discussions about Condor’s decision to remove the Clipper service in the weeks preceding Christmas, whether the vessel was being used on an alternative route, and if these changes were linked in any way to the delays in awarding the tender for future ferry services.
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel replied that there had not been discussions, that the Clipper was being used on an alternative route by Brittany Ferries and that it was not, to his knowledge, linked in any way to the ferry tender process.
A fresh independent process to decide the Island’s ferry provider for the next 15 years is currently underway, with reviewers assessing the submitted bids from Danish shipping firm DFDS and incumbent Condor Ferries.
The new tender process follows the collapse of the initial pan-island selection project earlier this year, when Guernsey revealed it did not want to wait any longer and decided to appoint Brittany Ferries as its preferred operator.
Deputy Morel explained to Members that Condor were still within their minimum service requirement in the current operating agreement of two passenger and vehicle ferry services per week.
He continued: “I don’t think this situation is satisfactory, because it’s inconveniencing Islanders. This is not due to maintenance, but due to use of the vessel in question elsewhere. That is not satisfactory to me.”
He assured Members that the current tender process was separate, stating: “These events do not necessarily speak to wider issues, but when it comes to the new operating agreement, we will be ensuring there’s the right frequency of freight and passenger services.”
In a statement supplied to the JEP, a Condor Ferries spokesperson said: “Our cross-Channel capacity has been increased over the Christmas and New Year period to ensure it is more than sufficient to meet the seasonal demand.
“Condor Liberation resumes service on 19 December after her annual maintenance and will operate additional sailings from Poole.
“Commodore Goodwill and Condor Islander are also running six and seven days per week respectively to keep the Islands connected and supplied.
“We do not anticipate requiring the support of Commodore Clipper this winter, so following changes to our fleet plans, she will be on charter to Brittany Ferries.
“Passengers with existing bookings on Clipper are being accommodated on alternative Liberation and Islander departures.
“However, we have retained the option to recall Clipper to service in the Channel Islands if required, maintaining our fleet resilience.”
