DFDS has pulled its fast ferry service on the UK-Jersey route for much of the winter – leaving both government and industry unhappy.
‘The level of service delivered to date, particularly the decision to withdraw the UK fast ferry over winter, falls short of what was promised and what islanders and visitors expect,’ said Deputy Lyndon Farnham.
He said the government was ‘treating this matter with urgency’ and had escalated its concerns to the highest level at DFDS, demanding ‘immediate clarity and improved delivery’.
The Jersey Hospitality Association has been scathing about the ferry operator’s decision and said there was a ‘growing frustration’ among the island’s residents and the industry, with concerns raised that the island’s connectivity needs was coming second to the company’s profitability.
JHA chairman Malcolm Lewis said that the blame rested with the States of Jersey.
‘Your government must take responsibility for the impact of the earlier ferry tender debacle, which has directly led to a 30-plus% reduction in sea passenger travel this year, with severe economic consequences for our industry. There must now be accountability and urgent corrective action,’ he said, directed at Deputy Farnham, who said in response that the States remained committed to the visitor industry as a ‘vital part’
of the island’s broader economic landscape.
Mr Lewis called for the government to publish its service level agreement with DFDS, which it has previously refused to release.
DFDS was named as the Jersey’s preferred ferry operator by the government last December following its own tender process, following the earlier collapse of the pan-island tender.
It began sailings in March, with services to France initially disrupted by a technical problem with one of its fast ferries, Tarifa Jet.
The lift on its fast ferry to the UK, Levante Jet, also broke, leading to complaints from passengers with reduced mobility. The lift was fixed at the end of July.
DFDS responded that it was under no contractual duty to operate the fast ferry in the winter, its scheduled sailings had enough capacity to meet market demand, and it was planning for long-term sustainability on the Jersey routes.
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