Officials consider inter-island ferry proposals

Island officials are considering proposals from DFDS for additional inter-island services between Jersey and Guernsey.

The plan for a passenger and vehicle service from Jersey on a Friday and Guernsey on a Monday is being reviewed by the States Trading Supervisory Board (STSB), which has responsibility for Guernsey's ports and business groups.

It follows meetings on 13 February between representatives of the States of Guernsey and Government of Jersey to discuss the future of inter-island connectivity.

A statement from DFDS said: "The proposal forms part of our wider plans to strengthen connectivity within the Channel Islands and to provide greater choice and resilience for islanders."

It added: "We have met with government officials in both Jersey and Guernsey and are continuing constructive discussions with ports, operators and business representatives, including the Jersey and Guernsey Chambers of Commerce."

There has been continued dissatisfaction with the current inter-island ferry services and calls for more crossings.

But at a States of Guernsey meeting on Wednesday, Deputy Sasha Kazantseva-Miller, president of Guernsey's Economic Development Committee (ED), said the possibility of a daily-inter island car ferry link was out of the question.

She said the island's governments may consider incentives for further inter-island links, but only where there were strong business cases and in line with existing contractual and legal obligations.

"A daily car service is unlikely to be commercially viable given the small size of this market and the requirements of existing schedules," she said.

Last year Guernsey's ED committee provided an initial subsidy for Islands Unlimited to allow it to purchase a boat and launch its services between the islands in summer.

Kazantseva-Miller told the States: "Jersey didn't provide any funding, ideally we would like to work jointly, and this is the kind of discussions we are having."

Earlier this month, Jersey's minister for sustainable economic development, Deputy Kirsten Morel, told the island's scrutiny panel DFDS had proposed a Friday evening passenger and vehicle service from Jersey to Guernsey, then on to Portsmouth, using the Stena Vinga.

He said it was proposed passengers would be able to disembark in Guernsey, but that Guernsey passengers would not be able to board for the journey to the UK.

Currently, Brittany Ferries operates a Wednesday passenger and vehicle service between Guernsey and Jersey.

DFDS ran an inter-island service on Mondays in the summer and Islands Unlimited ran a daily passenger service until September, which is due to resume in March.

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