A BATTLE between Condor and a Danish shipping firm over who will run Jersey’s freight and passenger ferry services could result in a “competitive” service for Islanders, according to the Chamber of Commerce.
Economic Development Minister Kirsten Morel has also welcomed the “interest” shown by DFDS, which this week held an open meeting in Jersey for local business representatives and other interested parties as it prepares to challenge incumbent Condor for the upcoming tender.
Chamber chief executive Murray Norton encouraged the two operators to offer as “well-priced” and “efficient” a service as possible.
Mr Norton also pointed out that the possibility of both ferry companies working side by side on the same routes – something which has caused the demise of other operators in the past – was unlikely to be “viable”.
He said: “Chamber welcomes the fact that two large and experienced operators are competing for the upcoming tender, with both having outlined clear intentions to win it.
“This presents a potential benefit to Islanders and businesses, as whoever succeeds will hopefully have sought to provide a competitive service.”
Mr Norton continued: “We look forward to formal publication of the tender and encourage both operators to offer the most robust, well-priced and efficient service possible. We must ensure we secure the highest resilience to and contingency from disruption to our supply chain.”
Condor’s interim chief executive, Christophe Mathieu, has stated the operator is “determined to answer and win the tender”, while DFDS vice-president Filip Werne Hermann has said his firm has a “huge fleet” that could benefit the Channel Islands.
As part of its bid, DFDS unveiled plans for a hybrid-electric ferry this week that they say could be used to service routes to France from Jersey and Guernsey, while the company also carried out docking trials with its freight ship Finlandia Seaways recently.
Deputy Morel said: “We welcome the interest in the Channel Islands by DFDS, and their engagement with the islands’ communities. This shows the value of deciding to tender for services.”
He continued: “With 98% of all goods consumed in Jersey arriving by sea, every Islander and every Island business is reliant on our sea connectivity services.
“I want to secure resilient and high-quality ferry services which suit the demands of the routes to the UK and France, which meet passenger needs, and which consider long-term challenges such as environmental sustainability.”
Commenting on the rationale for selecting a single operator for Jersey’s passenger and freight services – as opposed to letting both firms compete side by side – Mr Norton said: “It is highly likely that it would not be viable for both operators to compete on the same routes.”
Such was the case for Emeraude Ferries, which ran routes between Jersey and France for decades but threw in the towel in 2006 in the wake of competition with Condor.
