Decision on Jersey’s Ferry Operator Expected to Be Delayed Further

The determination regarding the operator for Jersey’s maritime connections over the forthcoming 15-year period is anticipated to be postponed by a minimum of an additional week. Chief Minister Deputy Lyndon Farnham had previously stated last week that a resolution was expected during the week beginning November 25. Nevertheless, Deputy Kirsten Morel, the Economic Development Minister, informed a committee of politicians overseeing his portfolio that the decision was now more probable to occur in the initial week of December. Minister Morel additionally conveyed to the Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel that the specific entity with which a prospective contract would be finalized, whether Condor or its parent company Brittany Ferries, remained undetermined. During the previous week’s session in the States Assembly, Morel announced the initiation of a new tendering procedure to select the island’s ferry operator, following the unsuccessful conclusion of a joint tender process conducted with Guernsey. He informed the panel, stating: “We are waiting for the bids to arrive and the aim is to announce the winner of that process around a Jersey-only service. If I’m being honest, I believe it will be the first week of December.” Morel further indicated his expectation that both the Danish firm DFDS and Brittany Ferries would participate in this renewed tender process. Regarding the preceding joint tender process with Guernsey, Morel explained that it was only subsequently discovered that, in the event of Brittany winning, the contract would be executed with Condor Ferries instead of Brittany itself. Notwithstanding the commencement of a new process, Morel maintained that he still possessed “no idea” concerning whether he would be signing an agreement with Brittany or Condor “until they bring forward the bid”. Condor’s previous bid was unsuccessful due to financial concerns, while DFDS’s bid failed on a legal technicality; however, Morel stated his receptiveness to either bidder “winning the new process” and affirmed he did not hold “a preference”. The Committee for Economic Development reported that discussions for a “Guernsey-only contract with Brittany Ferries are progressing well” and its members expressed optimism about publishing the schedules for the upcoming year within the current week. Morel firmly asserted that initiating a new process was the appropriate course of action. He commented: “It would have been much easier for me to say: ‘Yes, we follow Guernsey,’ but there were significant concerns I couldn’t overlook, and I still maintain that’s why I’m here as minister – it’s inserting the human in the process.” Morel further conveyed his confidence that, through this new process, they “would make a decision one way or another”.