Jersey preparing for its ferry announcement on Monday
THE chances appear to be increasing of Jersey breaking from Guernsey and selecting a different ferry operator.
The islands’ earlier unity over the single tender process broke down on Wednesday when Jersey declined to join Guernsey in appointing Brittany Ferries, Condor’s new parent company, reportedly over concerns about financial viability.
Following further talks yesterday, Jersey’s Council of Ministers issued a statement fully backing the concerns which had stopped its Economic Development minister, Kirsten Morel, from signing off a joint deal for the Channel Islands.
‘The Council of Ministers has had positive discussions on our lifeline ferry services,’ it said.
‘The questions asked of the operators were in the best interests of Jersey’s public and were on crucial elements of operator ownership, financial viability, and future investment in vessels.
‘We have sought answers to these questions throughout the process and the Council of Ministers is pleased to have received some clarity over the past 24 hours to validate the concerns of the minister for Sustainable Economic Development.
‘We are now considering the answers and will make a further announcement on Monday.’
Some politicians in Guernsey have read the statement as their Jersey counterparts’ biggest hint yet that they may still be preparing to select rival Danish bidder, DFDS, despite the islands running a lengthy joint tender process with the aim of appointing a single operator across all routes.
Guernsey’s Economic Development president, Deputy Neil Inder, who led the process which resulted in the appointment of Brittany Ferries, has said that the French company had a tried and tested fleet, whereas DFDS could not prove that it had the vessels necessary to run the services required from the start of the contract in April.
The ongoing uncertainty in Jersey means there is still a lack of clarity about how inter-island routes would be served by different operators.
However, Guernsey was yesterday pressing ahead with detailed negotiations with Brittany Ferries, and it is understood that a comprehensive agreement on services could be signed as soon as later this month.
