Ferries reduce sailings

FERRY operators are considering all available options in the fight against rising fuel costs, Condor and HD Ferries have confirmed.

Both operators have reduced their schedules in an effort to stave off the increasing cost of running their vessels.

Condor has removed a number of services run on its Vitesse vessel, which operates between the UK and St Malo and stops off at one of either Guernsey or Jersey each way.

Nick Dobbs, general sales and marketing manager at Condor, said the global rise in fuel costs was presenting challenges for all transport operators and consumers. 'At Condor Ferries we have reviewed and optimised our 2008 schedules to ensure the minimum of inconvenience to our customers and have absorbed much of the fuel price rises ourselves,' he said.

HD Ferries has reduced its service from 18 sailings a week to 16 and Phil Jones, spokesman for the operator, said the reduction was necessary.'We have been adjusting our schedule a little bit lately to make sure that we are carrying as many people on each service as possible,' he said.