States keep an eye on Condor prices
Tuesday 9th September 2008, 2:59PM BST.
CONDOR’s prices may be regulated by the States if a competitor does not sail on the St Malo route.
The loss of HD Ferries has sparked widespread concern that prices are likely to rise, with Condor once again enjoying a monopoly position on the southern route.
Addressing the States yesterday, Economic Development Minister Philip Ozouf said that he would like to see competition on the route. However, he said that if no competitor was found, he would introduce new laws to give the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority the power to introduce some sort of price regulation.
Senator Ozouf said that he was ‘extremely disappointed’ with HD’s performance and said that he would be talking to the company about its obligations under the service level agreement it signed with the States. ‘We made maximum efforts to assist them and welcome competition on that route,’ he said.
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its about time that they did keep an eye on condor’s fares.. as will we all!
Condor.. its now up to you to prove to the islands that you want to serve our needs, and not line your pockets with price rises, now HD is not running..
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I travel regularly with a gross weight 4500kgs truck to France to collect items for my business.
I do the round trip in a day with HD as I did with Emeraude at a manageable cost. Condor will not take a vehicle above 3500 kgs on their wavepiercers and hence I’m now grounded. My only alternative is to use the Saturday freight boat which means I can’t do my trip in a day. The cost to freight my products is prohibitive.
Bye bye business!!
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If the States are going to monitor and control Condor’s pricing, then step in with regulatory powers to control anything that smacks of profiteering, then why have they not done so with other areas of commerce such as food, clothing, electrical items?
Does anyone else smell an election coming?
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Keeping an eye on the prices for Con Ferries and actually doing anything are two different things since HD Ferries shut shop Con Ferries have already increased their prices , how they get away with this is beyond me I had booked with HD to sail Christmas at a price of £79.00 for a car 2 Adults and a Baby return and with Con Ferries £376.00 need I say more.
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easy bring in brittany ferries or p and o simple ! whats all the fuss!!!!!!
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prices for Con Ferries:
I paid 280 pounds one way last year,
return to St. Marlo was 56 pounds.
I don´t think your government will do anything, As the boys will look after themselves, I would like to know who in the states owns shares in con Ferries..
Over to you Bridget……
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JCRA needs to get the balls now to stop all the Cartels from running Jersey.
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Does a polititian/candidate’s declaration of interests extend to such things as what companies he/she holds shares?
If not, perhaps it should.
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Is it not about time our so called wonderful leaders in the states looked at the whole air and sea links. Is it not time that budget airlines are welcomed to the island? Is it not time for other companys such as P & O or brittany ferries welcomed and not passed over maybe because it will threaten the exsisting carrier on the route Con ferries. If 2 carriers were able to run the St Malo Route is this not possible for the uk route also? Seeing HD Ferries quit the route is very sad for the poor people of the island. But this is just another case of “pay the prices or stay where you are” because the states will do nothing about it.
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Senator Ozouf,
Why just the Southern route? – Condor have been charging extortionate fares unopposed continuously on the UK route for years – I hope that a competitor is going to be found for the UK route, if not the prices should also be regulated.
We will all be watching closely Senator Ozouf.
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the trouble here is too many people are overpaid for what they do so they dont care if it costs £79
or £379 because they have it ,and the states wont do anything ,because they are all HOPELESS at their jobs…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!muppets
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Dear dear me – here we go again! The States know how to pick the best for the Island – What the heck was wrong with Emeraude? I travelled with them all the time they were excellent – this Island is held at ransom by all and everyone. It is not cheap to go anywhere from the Island now. We booked to go away in August abroad and we had to pay for another imaginary person to join us to get to Gatwick. Yes we choose to live here but at what cost. We are all moaning about the States Members who do nothing but now it is time we did something about it. You are not dictating to us anymore the people of Jersey have had enough! Democracy – where? Please get off your pedestals and do something for the people you are now choking us with silly projects which fail after a year or so. It is our hard earned money you are wasting not your own. If it was yours you would not spend it. Election time will tell!!!!
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I think a lot of people are missing the point. Condor is more expensive than its competitors but it also runs all year round, provides a more reliable and let’s be honest a quicker service. HD was cheaper but could not afford to keep going during the quieter months.
Oil, staff and running costs are not cheap these days either. I am not happy about the costs but that is the reality of the market we have created for ourselves.
Condor prices bring in enough cash to make it worth it for them to run all year round. HD’s prices did not. I don’t see the problem with HD only running during the busier months, and condor all year round. Unless the states start subsidising HD and Condor do not expect cheaper fares.
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There were two operators to UK, BCIF and Condor but people wanted speed so Condor won out! With fuel costing what is does and other operators who already run high speed craft cutting back on their routes, can you really see how anybody would be prepared to compete against Condor with a similar vessel ?
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Condor is now owned by an australian company who also owns the ferries from the isle of white and the isle of man to the uk mainland.So what have they done they have hiked up the prices i am just warning you keep an eye on them you will be next.i live on the isle of man they now have the monopoly it is only a short distance to the uk but it is very exspencive it never used to be but thanks to them it is different now.
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