Ferry Company Chairman Expresses Concern After Bid Rejection

The head of a ferry company has communicated with Jersey’s chief minister, conveying his apprehension following the rejection of an initial proposal to operate the island’s ferry services. Jean-Marc Roué, chairman of Brittany Ferries, informed Deputy Lyndon Farnham of his astonishment that a tender submitted by Condor, a subsidiary of Brittany Ferries, was unsuccessful. Mr. Roué stated that his company had presented its offer “in good faith” with the intention of continuing to provide services to the island and confirmed its participation in an upcoming tender process exclusive to Jersey. Deputy Kirsten Morel, the Sustainable Economic Development Minister responsible for supervising the tender, indicated that Condor’s submission was unsuccessful due to the age of its vessels and the company’s financial standing. The BBC has sought a statement from the Government of Jersey. The government of Jersey had proposed a seven-month extension to Condor’s existing ferry service agreement, an offer which the company declined. Within his correspondence, Mr. Roué expressed his surprise regarding the rejection of the initial proposal and articulated his desire to address what he perceived as “damaging comments” originating from the States of Jersey and various media outlets. He wrote: “The company I chair exists because its only guide is customer satisfaction.” “The financial benefits of our activities are totally reinvested in the company.” He further stated: “For example, we are in the middle of the largest fleet renewal process in our history with five new generation ships, including two powered by cleaner hybrid LNG-electric technology.” A collaborative tender initiative had been initiated by Jersey and Guernsey to identify a company to operate ferry services to both islands through 2040. The States of Guernsey verified last month that Brittany Ferries had been selected as its favored bidder. It also indicated that discussions with the company were “progressing well” and that the 2025 service timetable was expected to be released soon. Deputy Neil Inder, who serves as the President of the Committee for Economic Development, expressed his concern regarding recent remarks concerning Condor. He stated: “I’ve been concerned about public commentary in relation to Condor’s prior financial challenges. “I consider this somewhat of a red herring, given Condor’s financial issues at the end of 2023 were well known and, importantly, occurred when it was owned by a different company – Columbia Threadneedle. “No funding was provided by the States of Guernsey at the time and Brittany Ferries subsequently became the majority shareholder of Condor, bringing increased financial security,” he added. In addition to Condor’s proposal, Mr. Morel mentioned that a tender from DFDS was unsuccessful because of a “technical, legal” problem. A new tender procedure, with the objective of finalizing a decision by the close of November, is currently in progress.