French ferry firm to seek inter-island tender
ANOTHER ferry operator has announced an interest in taking up the tender for a proposed inter-island service.
Manche-Iles Express has been running a route from the Channel Islands to Normandy since 2005 and a limited inter-island service since 2014.
Economic Development has gone out for expressions of interest from companies wanting to run a daily passenger service between Guernsey and Jersey, which could attract a subsidy.
Last year the company undertook 54 inter-island crossings in the six months between April and September.
Regardless of whether it receives the tender from the States of Guernsey and Jersey, the company aims to increase its sailings next year to 86 crossings during the summer.
It said that it would schedule twice the number of Saturday crossings next year.
Currently the operator uses just one vessel, the Granville, with a capacity of 245 seats, on the inter-island route, but said it will have work done to its other vessel, the Victor Hugo.
Full story in today's Guernsey Press
