Condor is urged to buy ferry to help on UK route
CONDOR has been urged by a States committee to buy an additional second-hand ferry to run to the UK, and to buy a new purpose-built vessel in a few years' time.
Economic Development also called on Condor to run a passenger-only inter-island service.
The ideas were put to Condor chief executive Paul Luxon during a meeting looking at the comprehensive review of the company's operations.
Economic Development vice-president Jan Kuttelwascher said Condor Liberation had not delivered on what was promised since it had replaced the two wavepiercing catamarans.
'We would like to see a third ferry on the northern route,' he said. 'We used to have three ferries going to Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth, and we want to go back to that.
'The main problem we have at the moment is that the Condor Liberation can only cope with one rotation on this route.'
Deputy Kuttelwascher, who said the Liberation was unable to serve Weymouth, attributed Condor's move from five ships to four as the main cause of schedule disruption.
'This has led to inconvenient times of arrival and departure, and disruption to the service will continue without a third fast ferry,' he said.
Deputy Kuttelwascher proposed the immediate purchase of a second-hand ferry, with a view to constructing a purpose-built vessel in the longer term.
