Guernsey Official Expresses Confidence in Sole Ferry Provider

The individual leading the committee responsible for the ferry procurement process has expressed assurance that a service exclusively for Guernsey will be capable of fulfilling the island’s requirements. In the previous month, the Economic Development committee independently declared Brittany Ferries, the parent company of Condor, as its favored candidate. The Government of Jersey has not yet finalized its choice of operator, although it did propose a seven-month contract extension to the incumbent provider, Condor, an offer which the company later declined. Deputy Neil Inder, who presides over the committee, stated: “I will respect whatever decision [Jersey] reaches, while being naturally disappointed if it’s not joining us with a single provider.” Inder indicated that the committee had achieved “good progress” in its negotiations with Brittany Ferries, further stating that this instilled confidence in him regarding the company’s capacity to deliver a service solely for Guernsey. Deputy Kirsten Morel, Jersey’s Economic Development Minister, had previously asserted that the collaborative tender process had failed. However, Inder contradicted this assertion, stating that Jersey’s ministers received a two-week advance notification of Guernsey’s plan to select Brittany Ferries. He elaborated: “The invitation for tender enabled either island to come to its own decision if a joint agreement could not be reached,” adding, “There seems to be an inaccurate narrative being purported about the process. “We didn’t break away from the process, we followed it throughout and a preferred bidder needed to be selected. “We delivered the certainty our island deserves.” Morel stated his intention to contact DFDS regarding the provision of Jersey’s services temporarily, following Condor’s rejection of a contract extension. He informed deputies that he anticipated revealing the chosen company “in the next month”. Connect with BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Submit your story concepts to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.