Monthly talks involving Condor Ferries and politicians

The ferry company has produced a remediation plan to improve its service after the Liberation and the Clipper were both out of service due to technical faults

Condor Ferries and channel island politicians are to meet every month to monitor how the ferry operator is improving its service to customers.

Ministers held talks with Condor management last week following a series of problems with its high-speed vessel.

They focused on concerns about customer service and reliability.

Guernsey's Chief Minister said Condor had provided a good service over many years. The BBC has approached the firm but has not yet received a response.

Guernsey's Chief Minister said they would now hold regular "high level" meetings to discuss progress.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq, Jersey's Chief Minister Ian Gorst and the commerce and economic development ministers of both islands have been involved in the talks.

The ferry company has suffered several setbacks following the launch of its £50m high-speed ferry, the Liberation.

Earlier this month passengers on the fast ferry experienced hours of travel delays compounded by a ramp failure on the replacement vessel, the Clipper.

Condor apologised and offered full refunds but some passengers have been seeking compensation.

Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq said he wanted Condor to work well in the channel islands

The ferry operator has since produced a remediation plan outlining how it will improve its service to customers.

Deputy Le Tocq said: "I'm particularly pleased they're planning to engage more with the public in a proactive way, and with us.

"They're willing to meet and answer our questions on a monthly basis."

He said he was also concerned to hear reports that Condor Ferries' front-line staff were receiving a "huge amount of personal abuse" from some disgruntled customers.

Condor's remediation plan includes:

• Better risk planning to ensure potential technical faults are found early and can be dealt with before disrupting services

• Advanced 'airline-style' engineering monitoring and systems analysis

• Improved customer services - more investment in staff, systems and training, and ensuring faster contact, clearer communication and quicker resolution of issues should disruption occur