Select a region
Whichever firm wins the tender to run the Channel Islands' ferry services, will be granted a contract in both Guernsey and Jersey for the first time.
The States' yesterday agreed to issue a 20-year concession licence for providing ferry services to and from Guernsey using St Peter Port's Ro-ro ramps.
With talks ongoing over which ferry firm will be operating freight and passengers services between Guernsey and Jersey and to the UK and France from next year, it was stated that the concession licence for Ro-ro services in Guernsey will be issued once the ferry tender contract has been announced, which is expected to happen next month.
This will be the first time an exclusive concession licence to use Guernsey's Ro-ro ramp has been issued in the island.
Pictured: The Condor Voyager.
Jersey has previously agreed a Ro-ro ramp licence with Condor Ferries for services using its Elizabeth Harbour - but Guernsey has only ever offered the ferry firm an informal ‘memorandum of understanding’.
Deputy Neil Inder told the States that issuing a concession licence would "empower the Committee for Economic Development and the Policy & Resources Committee jointly to make Orders to prescribe the routes that are subject to licensing".
The contract would mean the licensee must perform any agreed services in accordance with the licensing agreement, and must not breach any of its conditions.
The licensee will also have to pay any fee, levy or charge required of it under the terms of the licence.
The President of Economic Development also said the concession licence could be surrendered, transferred, suspended or revoked in "specified circumstances and in accordance with specified procedures".
A copy of the licence agreement will have to be published under the terms agreed by the States and if it is ever suspended or revoked, ED would also have to publish the details.
ANALYSIS: Condor contact 'wind down' begins
Guernsey and Jersey to have "equal say" in ferry contract discussions
Competition watchdog approves Brittany Ferries' Condor takeover
Comments
Comments on this story express the views of the commentator only, not Bailiwick Publishing. We are unable to guarantee the accuracy of any of those comments.