P&R wants States to look at a Guernsey-only ferry
A GUERNSEY-ONLY, Guernsey-owned passenger, vehicle and freight ferry service will be investigated urgently if the States approves a recommendation from Policy & Resources, due to come to the Assembly next year.
P&R vice-president Lyndon Trott, in an update on reports being prepared into the island’s air and sea links, said that this idea would be a contingency plan and was being put forward in the wake of Condor being up for sale.
He also said the committee did not believe a runway extension was needed. Currently Condor is the only operator on the lifeline route between the island and the UK. ‘Compounded by Condor’s sales process, when it comes to our sea links we are vulnerable, we are exposed, we are at risk.’
While there was as yet no indication that a buyer was interested, Deputy Trott said that, were the sale to go through, the island could not be sure of the new owner’s plans.
It was up to P&R to look into contingency plans, and PwC came up with four suggestions in its report, two of which P&R will recommend to the Assembly.
As well as setting up a locally-owned ferry company, the committee would suggest also looking at bringing in a new operator, should the new owner of Condor decide not to maintain and improve services to the island.
Further details will be provided on the investment required and other key issues, he said.
Alderney representative Louis Jean asked if that island would be included in discussions of creating a locally-owned company, to which Deputy Trott replied ‘of course’.
Deputy Michelle Le Clerc questioned why Guernsey could not work with Jersey on coming up with a solution, but Deputy Trott said that with Jersey being the larger island and more attractive commercially, it would be seen as more attractive to any operator, so a Guernsey Bailiwick solution was better for us.
Would investigation lead to the sale of Condor being impeded, Deputy Peter Roffey asked, suggesting that by looking into a locally-owned company this would be sending out a signal that part of the market could be disappearing.
But Deputy Trott said that a licencing agreement for the roro ramp would enable more than one user to access it. But government had an obligation to be open and transparent, and he could not imagine that the current owners of Condor would be unaware that a contingency plan was being looked into.
Condor is expected to comment today.
