Ferry News Archive
Harbour could set sail without ferry
Date: 12 Jul 2006 00:00 Source: EDP24Yarmouth's £45m outer harbour could open for business with no ferry operator in place, it was claimed last night.
Through a saga lasting decades, the new port and a continental ferry service have always been seen as inextricably linked. But less than a week after new firm International Port Holdings (IPH) was chosen as preferred partner to develop the project, the spectre has been raised of a harbour built and operating without any ferries running - and possibly without any even in sight.
Greek firm Superfast Ferries signed a provisional agreement as preferred operator three years ago but an industry insider last night cast doubt on whether this relationship would be pursued.
While expressing confidence that the odds were still in favour of a ferry firm signing up, he described it as "90pc certain the harbour will open before that happens".
He said: "It is a big risk launching a new ferry service that will cost about £38m a year and I suspect any com-pany will want to see the harbour nearly built before they commit themselves. However, the evidence from other ports is that if you build great facilities the ships will come."
He said an added safeguard that the harbour would now be built was that while the scheme became a lucrative "no-brainer" if a ferry was secured, it was still a sustainable proposition without one.
Eliza O'Toole, a founding director of IPH, a firm spearheaded by former P&O Ports chief operating officer Alistair Baillie, last night said they were not contractually committed to Superfast. "We will be very happy to speak to them but recognise time has moved on since 2002," she said. "Their interest might be reignited now they can see the harbour is going to happen." Meanwhile, Ms O'Toole said discussions with other potential operators had started and "IPH would very happy to talk to any ferry company about using the facilities of the port".
Even the route would be up for negotiation, although she said the much-mooted link to Ijmuiden in Holland remained attractive as it was the shortest crossing, allowing three services a day. Their intention was to start building before the end of the year and their business plan took into account the fact that ferry operators would be more attracted once construction was under way.
Although they were confident the harbour would become an attractive proposition to ferry firms, she said the long-term sustainability of the port's operation depended on the development of a mix of trade.
Speaking from Athens, Yannis Criticos, a director at Superfast, told the EDP that while the world had moved on since 2002, they would be "happy to discuss the project again when things are more finalised".
When asked whether he still considered the development of a Yarmouth service attractive, he said: "We do have to see the whole picture. When we see that we will give an answer."
Yarmouth Borough Council deputy leader Barry Stone said there was still no urgency to secure agreement with a ferry operator and it was the time to celebrate the "great news" that the harbour would be built.
Stena recently said it would cancel its jet-powered HSS Discovery service between Harwich and the Hook of Holland.
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