New ferry firm needs to be consistent - businesses

Jersey is yet to make a decision on its preferred ferry operator as ministers wait for further information from bidders

Jersey businesses are calling for the next Channel Islands ferry provider to give them more certainty in both freight and passenger services.

Condor Ferries' current operating agreements with Jersey and Guernsey ends on 27 March 2025.

Guernsey has chosen Brittany Ferries as its preferred bidder to operate its lifeline sea links for the next 15 years, while Jersey is yet to make a decision as ministers wait for further information from bidders.

Among those sharing their views, staff at Jersey electronics retailer Fotosound and pub chain Randalls said more consistency was needed in the the time it took for deliveries to arrive.

Mark Fisher, floor manager at Fotosound, said deliveries sometimes took two days but at other times the shop could be waiting "eight, 10 or 12 days".

"We've got goods on the way to us at the moment that have been in transit for six or seven days on a two-day delivery," he said.

"It's very frustrating when you can't get the stock for the customers. We need a lot of stock and they can't get it to us."

Mark Fisher, the floor manager at Fotosound, said he wanted to see more consistency from the new ferry operator

Flo Aranda, sales director at pub and restaurant chain Randalls, said reliability was also the main issue for the firm.

"All the alcohol we bring from the outside and after a disruption our stocks start to dry up and we lose business out of it," he said.

He said he understood why perishable goods were prioritised after a disruption, but it meant the impact on alcohol was "twice as bad".

"It takes us longer to recover," he added.

Flo Aranda, the sales director at Randalls, said businesses wanted reliability from the new ferry operator

Qasim Khawaja, a sales consultant at Jersey Pearl, said more transport options for passengers visiting the island "would allow business to thrive".

"Over the summer there was a big shortage of people coming from St Malo, summer was OK, but it could have been better if the ferries were more reliable," he said.

Qasim Khawaja, a sales consultant at Jersey Pearl, said more reliability for passengers coming from France would help the businesses