A CONVENTIONAL ferry running overnight crossings to Jersey could be in operation before the end of the year – and a senior minister has said the government may consider investing in the service.
In a surprise announcement last month, Guernsey politicians revealed they had held secret talks with Condor over jointly purchasing an additional passenger and freight ship to serve the Channel Islands.
The news came as a surprise to Jersey ministers, who had earlier been involved in discussions with the operator and Sarnian officials over the future of the fleet.
Today, Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham said that although the government had previously been opposed to investing in travel, he was ‘prepared to consider all options’ to ensure the Island had resilient sea links.
Separately, in an interview with the JEP (see pages 8 & 9), Condor chief executive John Napton said the operator was expecting a busy summer, with continued high passenger numbers to the UK, and demand for the French route up to 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels.
He also revealed that:
*New emissions regulations are creating an uncertain future for the high-speed ferries.
*He has a shortlist of conventional ferries which would be of a similar size and age as the Commodore Clipper – and he hoped to have the service running before next winter.
*The number of French visitors has been decimated by Brexit and the market may not recover for another two years.
*He is tentatively looking at the feasibility of eventually restoring the Weymouth link.
A delegation from Guernsey, including Chief Minister Peter Ferbrache, was today due to visit Jersey to speak to politicians and officials, including Senator Farnham, Chief Minister John Le Fondré and External Relations Minister Ian Gorst.
Senator Farnham said: ‘We have had a couple of very useful discussions with our Guernsey counterparts.
‘They are visiting [today] and we will be discussing areas of mutual interest, including improving sea links to the Channel Islands.
‘All transport providers are in a very different position to where they were before the pandemic and so it is essential we look at ensuring there is a strong and reliable service.’
One of the areas which is likely to be discussed is the operating agreement between Jersey and Condor, and whether this should be jointly drawn up with Guernsey, which currently has only a memorandum of understanding with the firm.
Senator Farnham added: ‘Our operating agreement with Condor is due to expire in 2025 and there is a three-year notice period on that. So we aim at addressing that this year.
‘We will be in discussions potentially over the possibility of a joint operating agreement [with Guernsey] with whatever operator, or even separate agreements which align more closely.’
Asked whether Jersey would consider investing in the new conventional ferry, Senator Farnham said: ‘It has not been our preference in the past but I am prepared to consider all options to safeguard the future of our transport links.’
Mr Napton confirmed that any new ferry would operate an overnight service with cabins to the Channel Islands.
He added: ‘We haven’t signed any paperwork. We need to set up the joint venture [with Guernsey] before we go out and talk about the vessel. I have a shortlist and that shortlist is very simple.
‘It would be broadly the same size as the Clipper, and £15 million to £20 million is about right for the total cost of a secondhand vessel of that size.’
