Too many questions unanswered as Jersey delays its decision
BIG commercial users of the island’s ferry services were keen to learn more about ferry services from next year when they were invited to a meeting with Economic Development president Neil Inder yesterday.
But they left the 75-minute meeting feeling that there had been more questions than answers.
Representatives from 11 businesses and bodies spanning retail, tourism and freight were at the meeting in Sir Charles Frossard House.
Most said afterwards that they were grateful for the opportunity but still felt that no decision from Jersey left too many questions unanswered.
Guernsey Chamber of Commerce executive director Alice Gill said that, while it was ‘really positive’ to have been able to meet Deputy Inder so soon, many members’ questions surrounding areas such as freight, schedules, and timetables remained unanswered.
‘Guernsey accounts for 35% of the total freight shipments,’ she said. ‘If we were to keep the same arrangement with just us we wouldn’t fill one boat. Things seemed to have changed so much from how the original tender was.’
Chamber treasurer Diane De Garis said she had never heard the word ‘hope’ uttered so often in a meeting.
‘A lot of assurances were made that the links with Jersey haven’t been forgotten about, but there didn’t seem to be a plan to get them on board,’ she said.
‘It was hard to form a view when all we were hearing was “hope, hope, hope” and no certainty.’
Ferryspeed general manager Martyn Langlois said he believed that Guernsey had taken a positive decision.
‘We were given some background as to where we are and been given some assurances which allow us to plan ahead.'
The freight firm operates across both islands, with 65% of its business in Jersey and 35% in Guernsey.
‘As a company we know Brittany Ferries or Condor can provide the service we need, with the tides and the seas that we have it is reassuring to have that experience,’ Mr Langlois said.
‘DFDS were really an unknown, but the economies of scale are important. Whether it is economically viable for one island to go alone is really down to the contract negotiated.
‘We run to a tight budget so we would not want to pass on extra costs to our customers.’
