Assurances sought from Condor for winter operations
GUERNSEY is relying on assurances which Jersey is seeking from Condor about its ferry services this winter.
Jersey’s Economic Development minister Kirsten Morel has asked for commitments from Condor that it will maintain services to the island for the next few months, even if it loses the current tender process for long-term control of Channel Islands routes.
Despite lacking the kind of binding agreement which Jersey has with Condor, the States of Guernsey has not asked for separate and specific assurances from the company about its passenger and freight sailings this winter.
‘We are running the tender jointly with Jersey, with officers from both islands working together as a single team on this,’ said Economic Development president Neil Inder.
‘Given the pan-island nature of Condor’s operations, any assurance sought and received would apply to both islands.’
Asked whether Guernsey had asked Condor for assurances about this winter, the company confirmed only that it was in touch with the government of Jersey.
‘We have been in communication with Deputy Morel regarding our current operating agreement and remain committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders on the continued delivery of services,’ said chief executive Christophe Mathieu.
Condor is up against at least one other bidder, Danish company DFDS, for a contract to operate the Channel Islands’ passenger and freight routes for the next 15 years from next April. Irish Ferries is also understood to have submitted a bid. The result of the process is expected this month.
In the Jersey States this week, Deputy Morel was pressed about the reliability of Jersey’s winter services if Condor was to lose the tender process.
‘Should Condor’s contractual relationship end next year, I fully expect the company and its shareholders to have made adequate provision for continuity of services through to expiry of the operating agreement through to 27 March 2025,’ said Deputy Morel, who contacted the company on 23 September.
‘I continue to seek adequate assurance on this point from the board of Condor and wrote to them recently on precisely this point. I do sincerely hope that Condor and its shareholders will provide this assurance to me.’
The published timetable of sailings between Guernsey, Jersey, the UK and France runs until 27 March next year. Bookings cannot be made past that.
Last year the ferry firm released its schedule for summer 2024 in November.
‘We are working on a timetable for next year that would cover March through to September, which would be launched soon if we are granted the new operating licence,’ said a Condor spokesman yesterday.
The States of Guernsey declined to answer questions about speculation that there would be a gap of a few days between the end of Condor’s current arrangements with the islands and the start date of the next agreement, as set out in the current tender documents.
