|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
          |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Latest Ferry NewsThe latest ferry news for January 2006 is below:PSA's bid for P&O a sound business decision: PM LeeDate: 29 Jan 2006Source: Channel News Asia SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says PSA's bid for British ports and ferries group P&O, is for sound business reasons and not prestige. He admits the tussle for P&O with Dubai Ports World will not be easy, but Mr Lee says PSA has to seize the opportunities. Greeting PSA staff, Mr Lee says they, along with its union and management have worked hard to restructure PSA, in order for it to compete internationally. But Mr Lee says it is necessary for PSA to continue to develop and grow to meet future challenges. And for this reason, PSA is hoping to seal the deal with P&O, initially with a $10 billion offer on Thursday. But what if Singapore fails as competitor Dubai Ports World has already countered with a higher offer? Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, "That we'll have to see because these are business decisions and there's a right price and right commitment which you must make to each project and I'm quite sure PSA is studying carefully how to respond and what to do. As I said, we don't come with gas and oil in our pockets. We have to make hard-headed business decisions and we go for the opportunities. If you get them, that's good. If they don't come your way, well, you have other ways to make up." But will Singapore's acquisitions cause some resentment overseas? Mr Lee believes there might be some sensitivities in the region, but that is something Singapore has to take in its stride; "In the region, sometimes, you have a telecoms acquisition like Temasek just bought Shin Corp, then there's some flak in the Thai media and I suppose there's been some flak in some of the other countries as well over some of the Singapore companies there. These are things we have to manage. I think from the point of view of ASEAN, the more these cross-border linkages take place, the better it is. We welcome foreign companies to buy up here." This is the first time Mr Lee is visiting PSA as Prime Minister on the first day of the Lunar New Year. He says PSA is critical to the success of Singapore's economy. Mr Lee says PSA has emerged leaner and stronger today. But he advises the port operator to pay close attention to 3 key areas. The first requirement Mr Lee says is to equip its staff with skills to stay flexible. Secondly, PSA should make sure it stays relevant, by encouraging its staff to upgrade, Finally, to leverage on modern technology by equipping its staff with basic IT skills. PM Lee said, "Singapore depends on PSA. Not just because of the jobs and profits within PSA itself, but to keep Singapore a thriving hub in South East Asia. We're the exchange, the centre, not the branch line. If PSA had not measured up, the whole economy, would have suffered and our position in the world would have changed. You're like Raffles City Station, interchange. All the rides come through here. And we're sitting on top and therefore we prosper. So we better stay on top of Raffles City. "You're a Singapore icon. You should also be a Singapore idol. All Singaporeans take pride in your success." Mr Lee is confident PSA will continue to forge ahead with many more good years. New low Poole Cherbourg fares from Brittany FerriesDate: 28 Jan 2006Source: Daily Mirror Brittany Ferries has new low fares on its Poole to Cherbourg ferry service, starting at £55 each way for a car and two adults staying five days or fewer. For a longer stay the fare is £85. This range of low fares is for travel until May 21. Cherbourg is the ideal gateway to Western France, with the N13 motorway leading quickly to a network of major roads for all parts of Normandy and Brittany as well as the Loire and further south. Poole ferry port is easily accessed with good roads linking it both to the east and west as well as the Midlands. For more information and to book, please visit our Brittany Ferries page. Takeover battle boosts P&O's sharesDate: 27 Jan 2006Source: BBC News Shares in P&O have jumped by more than 6% after the UK ports and ferries group backed a fresh £3.9bn ($7bn) takeover bid from a Dubai-based operator. The offer from Dubai Ports World - made after the close of trade in London on Thursday - topped a rival £3.5bn bid from Singapore's PSA International. Both suitors are keen to take control of P&O's container ports businesses in Asia, Europe and the Americas. P&O's management had previously backed PSA's 470 pence per share offer. victory for state-backed Dubai Ports would create the world's third-biggest ports operator. The company's revised 520p per share offer on Thursday was the latest twist in the saga for control of Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation since Dubai Ports first tabled an £3.3bn offer in November. P&O said the improved bid from Dubai Ports represented a 71.3% premium on its closing price on 27 October 2005, when the company first received a takeover approach. A successful bid by PSA, which is owned by the Singapore government's Temasek investment agency, would create the world's largest ports and containers group. The agency already owns 4.1% of P&O. Founded in 1837, P&O has three divisions - ferries, ports and logistics. In its heyday in the mid-1920s, it owned a fleet of almost 500 ships. Call for new ferries for Northern Isles Northlink ferry serviceDate: 27 Jan 2006Source: Shetland Times A Leading academic has called for the Northern Isles ferries Hjaltland and Hrossey to be replaced after branding them among the most inefficient ships built in recent years. A hard-hitting report by Alf Baird of Napier University's Transport Research Institute concludes that replacing the Hjaltland, Hrossey and two cargo vessels operated by Northlink with two larger ferries would save £10m a year. "This would virtually double present freight/car capacity at no additional cost and offers scope for adding more cabins on a longer hull," the report claims. "The specific cost saving is equivalent to in excess of £60m over each six-year contract period giving a saving of some £554m over the 25-year expected lifetime of a ship. "The Hjaltland and Hrossey appear to be two of the most inefficient and environmentally unfriendly ships built in recent years by virtue of their single freight deck, extremely high installed power and hence very high fuel consumption relative to payload." The report also claims it would be necessary to use Peterhead and Rosyth rather than Aberdeen because Aberdeen harbour is unable to accommodate 186-metre ferries. According to Dr Baird ferries would need to have a length at least 186 metres to make real savings. Even ships with a length of around 165 metres (the same length as the Smyril Line ferry Norröna) are fuel inefficient. Ferries of around 186 metres would also be cheaper to buy as they are mass produced on production lines at shipping yards around the world whereas smaller ferries have to be custom-built at greater expense. Grimaldi Ferries splashes out on new shipsDate: 26 Jan 2006Source: Lloyds list Grimaldi Ferries continues to invest heavily in support of its car ferry business, both on the intra-European routes and trades between Europe and West Africa and South America. The Naples-based company placed a series of orders for new ro-ro ships over the past year, and most of these will have at least some capacity for car shipments. Overall in 2005, contracts worth at least €1bn ($1.2bn) were signed, for up to 11 cruise ferries, ro-pax vessels and multipurpose ro-ro ships. As a result, Grimaldi now has 13 new ro-ro ships confirmed for delivery by 2009. Fincantieri of Italy will build up to six new ferries of two different classes for Grimaldi’s Mediterranean network. Four of these, including two options, will be cruise ferries, with 3,050 lane metres of deck capacity, while two will be ro-pax type vessels with space for 2,700 lane metres of ro-ro cargo. Grimaldi has also signed a deal with the Croatian yard, Uljanik, for two multi-purpose ro-ro ships for its West Africa and South America service networks. These vessels, which have 2,500 lane metres of cargo space, will be handed over in 2008 and 2009, along with three sister ships that were ordered in 2004. Uljanik is also building two car carriers for Grimaldi which are due for delivery in the coming year. As well as spending on new vessels, Grimaldi is actively building up its terminal network. In Antwerp, for example a further 150,000 sq m of terminal space, serving a new 500m long berth, has recently been commissioned at Grimaldi’s Antwerp Euroterminal facility. As a result the terminal can now handle five ocean-going vessels and at least one barge at the same time. Since it opened in 2001, AET has recorded consistent growth, making it one of Grimaldi’s most important hubs. In 2005, the terminal handled around 500,000 cars, up from 450,000 units in 2004, and to keep pace with demand a further € 30m is expected to be invested by Grimaldi in AET by 2010. Another key terminal project for Grimaldi is taking shape in Lagos, Nigeria. Vessels are expected to start berthing at the new Tin Can Island terminal this spring. Facilities being created as part of a $60m project include a 250m long quay and a 170,000 sq m terminal area. Having financed the development, Grimaldi has a 25-year concession to operate the terminal which is served by Grimaldi’s West Africa Southern Express service as well as a ro-ro shuttle to Dakar and Monrovia. P&O backs Singapore takeover bidDate: 26 Jan 2006Source: BBC News Ports and ferries group P&O has agreed a takeover bid from Singapore's PSA International, valuing the company at £3.5bn ($6.3bn). In a statement, P&O's board said it had recommended to its shareholders the 470 pence a share offer by PSA. PSA is owned by Temasek Holdings a Singapore government investment agency which already owns 4.1% of P&O. The offer beats a previously agreed bid from Dubai Ports World of 443 pence a share and could spark a bidding war. Speculation about a counterbid has been mounting since Dubai Ports launched its offer in November last year. Founded in 1837, P&O has three divisions - ferries, ports and logistics. Dubai firm raises stake for P&ODate: 26 Jan 2006Source: BBC News A bidding war for ports and ferries operator P&O has broken out with Dubai Ports World trumping a £3.5bn ($6.3bn) takeover bid for the group. P&O has agreed to the 520 pence a share bid, withdrawing support for a 470p a share offer made by PSA International. PSA is owned by Temasek Holdings, a Singapore government investment agency which already owns 4.1% of P&O. Speculation of a bidding war for P&O has been rife since DP World launched its takeover bid last year. In a statement P&O said the latest, improved offer from DP World represented a 71.3% premium of its closing price on 27 October - the last day before market rumours of a possible bid for the firm emerged. It added the bid - which its board has unanimously recommended to shareholders - was also 10.6% higher than the offer made by PSA. Founded in 1837, P&O has three divisions - ferries, ports and logistics. In its heyday in the mid-1920s, it owned a fleet of almost 500 ships before transforming itself in the post-war era to concentrate more on cargo shipping and ports. DP World is one of several Dubai government-linked firms looking for assets to invest in, backed by huge cash piles from the Gulf emirate's resources. Ports are currently reaping the rewards of an expansion in world trade, as goods made in Asia find their way to the US and Europe. Meanwhile, PSA had earlier said that taking over P&O would give the enlarged group the financial strength and global presence to compete effectively against rival port operators. In its heyday in the mid-1920s, it owned a fleet of almost 500 ships before transforming itself in the post-war era to concentrate more on cargo shipping and ports. P&O said the company's decision to jump ship and ditch support for Dubai Ports was justified on the grounds that PSA was willing to pay 6% more for the group and has agreed to satisfy any regulatory demands. "PSA will be a strong owner of P&O's businesses," said Sir John Parker, P&O's chairman. PSA said the enlarged company would have the financial strength and global presence to compete effectively against rival port operators. "It is our intention to integrate quickly in order to add value to the businesses of the combined group, including ferries," said Fock Siew Wah, chairman of PSA. Temasek is the second biggest port operator in the world. IOM Steam Packet ferry marks 10,000th tripDate: 26 Jan 2006Source: Ferry news The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's flagship ferry has reached a milestone with its 10,000th journey. The purpose-built Ben My Chree launched in 1998, and this week marked 590,000 miles on its regular route from Heysham, Lancashire, to the island. The vessel carries passengers, cars and coaches on twice-daily trips. Hamish Ross, Steam Packet's managing director said the company was "proud" of Ben My Chree's "superb service record." He added: "It must be regarded as probably the most reliable ever owned by this company throughout its 175-year history. "Ben My Chree is in a class of her own and has without doubt played a major part in our company's success in recent years." Passengers on the 10,000th trip were upgraded and given a complimentary drink. Viking joins Tallink in Silja biddingDate: 25 Jan 2006Source: Lloyds List Viking Line, the Finnish ferry operator, has put in a ‘tentative’ bid for Silja, the rival company put up for sale by Sea Containers. The move comes ahead of today’s deadline for offers but more than a month since Tallink said it was interested in Silja’s Finland-Sweden services. Silja Line operates two cruise ferries from Helsinki to Stockhom ferry port plus two other vessels between Turku and Stockholm under the Silja Line brand name. It also has two ro-pax ferries on the Turku to Stockhom ferry route under Seawind Line. Lisa Barnard, press officer for Sea Containers, declined to make any further comment, while Tallink’s executives were all unavailable for comment. The private equity fund Permira and Australian bank Macquarie have also appeared in rumours as potential bidders for Silja. On 15 December Tallink Finland managing director Keijo Mehtonen told the Turun Sanomat daily: “As soon as we know what is on offer and what [Silja’s] liabilities are, we can estimate the situation more accurately.” Bornholmstrafikken ends Køge - Sassnitz ferry serviceDate: 23 Jan 2006Source: Ship Pax Effective last week, Bornholmstrafikken has stopped the service on the route Køge - Mukran (Sassnitz). It may be re-opened on a charter basis, however. Quoting increasing bunker prices and a fairly slow start in freight volumes, Bornholmstrafikken would otherwise be quite keen to continue the route. It fits ideally into the schedule day-time slot when the HAMMERODDE and DUEODDE are idle in Køge, south of Copenhagen. There are some considerations about chartering the vessels and its cardeck capacity to anyone who would like to pursue the operation. Customs pays out £2m to settle booze cruise claimDate: 20 Jan 2006Source: Guardian Revenue & Customs has agreed to pay Hoverspeed almost £2m to settle a long-running legal dispute over its officers' alleged "heavy-handed" searches of booze cruise customers. The Cross Channel Ferry operator, which closed its Dover Calais Ferry route last year, originally filed a claim for £50m damages in 2004, arguing that over-zealous searches were putting off day trippers and hitting its profits. Customs said yesterday that it had agreed to pay Sea Containers, Hoverspeed's parent firm, £950,000 plus £850,000 "reasonable costs", adding that the payments were not an admission of liability. Local firm ready to run car ferry service between Scotland and IrelandDate: 18 Jan 2006Source: Herald local firm stands ready to reinstate a car ferry between Scotland and Northern Ireland for the £1m subsidy offered by ministers. Last week the transport minister announced that the Scottish Executive had received no tenders from prospective operators for the route between Campbeltown and Ballycastle. A former senior policeman with the Metropolitan Police wants to run a passenger-only service, but community and business leaders believe a car ferry is the key to Kintyre's economic recovery. Now Dalriada Shipping says it has an arrangement to charter the vessel which plied the route for three seasons from 1997, and has the expertise and experience to make it a success. It wants to open discussions with the Scottish Executive with a view to starting the service as soon as possible. James Robertson, a former employee of both Caledonian MacBrayne and Western Ferries, is one of those behind Dalriada Shipping. He explained he and his associates had become involved late in the day, "formed a company Dalriada Shipping, two hours before the deadline and applied to the Scottish Executive by e-mail. But we were turned down because we didn't have a lot of the information required by the executive... But we actually anticipated that none of the four firms invited to tender, would in the end tender. We had been doing a lot of research." He said the main players in Kintyre had considerable experience of running ferries and shipping. A local firm stands ready to reinstate a car ferry between Scotland and Northern Ireland for the £1m subsidy offered by ministers. Last week the transport minister announced that the Scottish Executive had received no tenders from prospective operators for the route between Campbeltown and Ballycastle. A former senior policeman with the Metropolitan Police wants to run a passenger-only service, but community and business leaders believe a car ferry is the key to Kintyre's economic recovery. Now Dalriada Shipping says it has an arrangement to charter the vessel which plied the route for three seasons from 1997, and has the expertise and experience to make it a success. It wants to open discussions with the Scottish Executive with a view to starting the service as soon as possible. James Robertson, a former employee of both Caledonian MacBrayne and Western Ferries, is one of those behind Dalriada Shipping. He explained he and his associates had become involved late in the day, "formed a company Dalriada Shipping, two hours before the deadline and applied to the Scottish Executive by e-mail. But we were turned down because we didn't have a lot of the information required by the executive... But we actually anticipated that none of the four firms invited to tender, would in the end tender. We had been doing a lot of research." He said the main players in Kintyre had considerable experience of running ferries and shipping. A local firm stands ready to reinstate a car ferry between Scotland and Northern Ireland for the £1m subsidy offered by ministers. Last week the transport minister announced that the Scottish Executive had received no tenders from prospective operators for the route between Campbeltown and Ballycastle. A former senior policeman with the Metropolitan Police wants to run a passenger-only service, but community and business leaders believe a car ferry is the key to Kintyre's economic recovery. Now Dalriada Shipping says it has an arrangement to charter the vessel which plied the route for three seasons from 1997, and has the expertise and experience to make it a success. It wants to open discussions with the Scottish Executive with a view to starting the service as soon as possible. James Robertson, a former employee of both Caledonian MacBrayne and Western Ferries, is one of those behind Dalriada Shipping. He explained he and his associates had become involved late in the day, "formed a company Dalriada Shipping, two hours before the deadline and applied to the Scottish Executive by e-mail. But we were turned down because we didn't have a lot of the information required by the executive... But we actually anticipated that none of the four firms invited to tender, would in the end tender. We had been doing a lot of research." He said the main players in Kintyre had considerable experience of running ferries and shipping. Trasmediterranea eyes Vigo to Bristol ferry linkDate: 18 Jan 2006Source: Lloyds Register A representative from Spanish ferry operator Trasmediterranea flies to the UK next week to finalise plans for a new passenger/freight service between Vigo and Bristol. Eduardo Carballal commented that the company has not yet decided which ships will be used or how many sailings per week. He indicated that providing the negotiations were completed satisfactorily, the company hopes to start the service during April. At Bristol the service will use Avonmouth docks and the journey time is expected to be about 30 hours. Market speculation suggests that the company will be looking to carry 50,000-80,000 passengers a year. A Bristol route would be Trasmed’s first UK link, although it would build on its Vigo-St Nazaire service that it operates for PSA-Citroen. Competing sailings would be the Brittany Ferries Plymouth Santander ferry and theP&O Ferries Bilbao Portsmouth ferry service. Dunkerque Spirit sees Norfolkline reduce Cross Channel sailing to 1 3/4 hoursDate: 17 Jan 2006Source: Lloyds List Korean shipbuilding has made a seminal impact on the north European ro-pax market with the entry of the 35,000 gt Maersk Dunkerque into Cross Channel Ferry service under the Norfolkline banner. As the first of a trio ordered by the AP Moller group from Samsung Heavy Industries, the vessel is distinguished by an especially high service speed of 25 knots, a powerful manoeuvring system, environmental class notation and separate and exclusive decks for passengers and Freight drivers. The design has enabled Dutch-based Norfolkline to schedule a crossing time of 1 hour 45 minutes on the Dover Dunkerque ferry route, 15 minutes less than that provided with the company’s 22-knot Dawn Merchantseries. The nature of the latest investment, with its advance in speed, power and reserve, reflects the crucial need to ensure attractive passage times, year-round service dependability and high productivity in the most intensely competitive shortsea market. Maersk Dunkerque is laid out for 780 passengers, accompanied by up to 200 cars, and the freight-loading capability amounts to 2,000 lane-metres for trucks and trailers on two decks. The requisite double-level loading and discharge is achieved using shoreside linkspans, as is the practice on Dover-based near-sea ferry crossings. The drive-through configuration employs a MacGregor access package including wing-type bow doors, bulwark visor, main deck inner bow door and upper deck front door, and sliding-type stern door. Arranged between the main and upper vehicle decks, the MacGregor hoistable, tilting ramp on the port side comprises a single main section. Lowered from either the forward or aft ends, and stowing flush to the upper deck, the unit will serve inter-deck transfers when necessary, giving the vessel the flexibility to use berths other than the regular terminals served by double-level linkspans. The two truck decks offer a clear height of 4.9 m, and have 3.0 m-wide lanes with interposed, flush lashing points. A dedicated car deck is incorporated above the upper trailer deck — reached via fixed internal ramps forward and aft on the starboard side. While the new breed does not greatly exceed the company’s previous generation of Astilleros Espanoles (now Izar)-built ro-pax ferries in physical size and ro-ro capacity, the Danish owning group has opted for a significantly higher service speed of 25 knots, and top speed in excess of 28 knots. This is rendered by a power concentration of 38,400 kW, compared with 23,760 kW in the older, former Cenargo ships. Maersk Dunkerque’s plant comprises four eight-cylinder medium-speed diesels of MAN B&W’s L48/60B type, yielding 9,600 kW apiece with the added merit of low NOx emissions and an absence of visible smoke, even at low loads. Just as the potent, multi-engine installation incorporates a margin so that the ship has sufficient power and speed reserve to recover schedules following delays caused by adverse weather or other factors, the auxiliary outfit is also sized in a most circumspect manner. The heavy fuel oil-burning, MAN B&W 32/40 engine-driven gensets each produce 2,880 kW, and are located in a compartment separate to that of the main machinery room for safety and maintenance reasons. The ship’s handling qualities in the close-quarter situations and constant working in and out of terminals implicit in a Dover/Dunkirk operation owe much to an outfit of three 1,800 kW bow thrusters, a 1,800 kW stern thruster, twin propellers and high-lift rudders. The new ferry fulfils Lloyd’s Register’s requirements for the Environmental Protection notation. Norfolkline’s specification prescribed low noise impact and an environmentally-compatible cooling arrangements. The vessel also features environmentally-friendly waste disposal and additional protection around the bunker tanks. The second-of-class is expected to commence duties next month, with the third ship is due in July, and it is understood that the chosen names are Maersk Delft and Maersk Dover. States might help Jersey St Malo ferry companyDate: 17 Jan 2006Source: BBC News States' help could be given to Emeraude Ferries so it can restart its ferry services between Jersey and St Malo. The company suspended its services to Jersey last month after its vessel, Solidor Five, suffered engine problems. The firm said it could not afford a replacement boat on the loss-making route to France. Economic Development Minister, Senator Philip Ozouf, said progress was being made following meetings with Emeraude's parent group, the Sogestran Group. Market reviews Emeraude has sustained heavy losses on the Jersey to St Malo Ferry route for the past two years. It blames the opening up of the route to competition with Condor Ferries in March 2003 for its problems. Senator Ozouf said: "They explained that various lessons have been learnt from the experience of the last couple of years. "They have carried out market reviews and various options are in the process of being discussed with their board in France. "My department will do all it can to secure their return to the route on a level playing field basis. "But at the same time I recognise, and I think we all must, the continuing service on the route by Condor." He said a decision on sea transport policy would be made by the end of February. Emeraude said, before Christmas, the days of competing to have the fastest and the biggest - and so the most expensive - vessel were over. It said that, in future, any decisions on a new choice of boat had to be made with profit in mind. Balearia joins battle with TrasmediterraneaDate: 13 Jan 2006Source: Lloyds Register Balearia, the Spanish ferry operator, has brought serious competition to the Barcelona Palma ferry route with the introduction of a new passenger and Freight. The operator has chartered the 22,000-gt Brave Merchant from NorseMerchant Ferries, now renamed Pau Casals after the Catalan composer. The vessel, which offers 2,000 lane metres and accommodation for 400 passengers, saw its cargo capacity sold out on the maiden voyage, Balearia claimed today. The company alleges that rival Acciona Trasmediterranea increased freight rates by 40% after it acquired the 16,686-gt ro-pax Atalaya de Alcudia from Majorca-based Transportes Maritimos Alcudia last May. That ship has also been running on the Barcelona-Palma route, but competition has been restricted because Alcudia had been carrying cargo passed on by ‘rival’ Trasmediterranea. Former Hoverspeed managers in Dover talksDate: 13 Jan 2006Source: Lloyds List Former managers at Hoverspeed, the Dover, UK-based ferry operation closed by Sea Containers last month, and Speed Ferries are understood to be two contenders bidding to revive a fast ferry link to Calais. “We are currently talking with three different interested parties regarding the operation of a service to Calais from the old International Hoverport facility,” a spokesman for Dover Harbour Board told Fairplay. The former management of Hoverspeed, led by Geoffrey Ede, is one of the three. Ede has confirmed he is in talks with the port authority and that any new service would have no links to Sea Containers. SpeedFerries, which runs a single-ship fast ferry link from Dover to Boulogne is also in discussions, not only about its previously stated plan to add a second fast ferry on that route but also the possibility of operating a conventional ferry, but it is not clear whether the French port would be Calais or Boulogne. The third interested party is understood to be a Swiss investment group. No bidders for Argyll/Northern Ireland Ferry LinkDate: 10 Jan 2006Source: BBC News Hopes for the revival of a ferry route between Argyll and Northern Ireland have been dashed after it failed to attract any potential operators. The tendering period closed on Tuesday but no bidders came forward, despite the offer of a £1m annual subsidy. Transport Minister Tavish Scott has voiced his disappointment. An unsubsidised service between Campbeltown in Kintyre and Ballycastle in County Antrim ended in failure after running for three summers up to 1999. A tendering exercise in 2002 failed to produce a response. Four companies were invited to tender in the latest process - Harrison's (Clyde) Ltd, the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Serco Denholm and Western Ferries - but none of them had submitted a bid by the 1000 GMT deadline. Mr Scott said the authorities in Northern Ireland were also very disappointed. "We reported in September that we had received an encouraging level of initial interest in the route, and that we hoped this would lead to a compliant bid being received," he said. "Unfortunately the organisations invited to bid have not pursued their initial interest and no bids have been received." The minister added: "We will now explore the reasons for the poor response and investigate what options, if any, are available in the context of this tendering process. "There is no guarantee, however, that this will produce a way forward. "We will allow a fair and reasonable time for this process and will make full information available in due course." Argyll and Bute Council leader Allan Macaskill said the authority was "bitterly disappointed". "Whilst we recognise that this particular window of opportunity is now closed, we will not give up hope that a new one might open in the future and we will undertake to explore any opportunity that may present itself," he said. "In addition, we intend to maintain the close links that we have developed with the communities of Northern Ireland and Moyle in particular, and make full use of existing routes." A Scottish Executive spokesman said it was too early to say whether the amount of subsidy offered was the reason for the lack of response. 'Robust exercise' After the failure of the 2002 tendering process, the executive and Northern Ireland Office agreed to go out to tender again, with the offer of an annual subsidy of up to £1m split 70%-30% between Edinburgh and Belfast for the five years of the contract period. It is believed that Caledonian MacBrayne considered bidding but concluded the £1m annual subsidy would not cover the likely operating losses. Independent MSP Brian Monteith has raised fears in parliament that ferry operators could attempt to cherry pick the best routes from Scotland's services. Mr Monteith, convener of Holyrood's Audit Committee, spoke out as MSPs quizzed the public spending watchdog over a report into ferry operator NorthLink's services to Orkney and Shetland. It revealed that millions of pounds of cash were needed to keep the services afloat. Robert Black, the Auditor General for Scotland, said NorthLink had run into difficulties after two other firms started providing alternative services. He said the competition, combined with higher than expected costs, led to financial problems for NorthLink. Ministers re-tendered the routes in 2004 and that process is still to be completed. Mr Monteith: "The fact that the two operators at a later date could come in and compete against NorthLink, throws up a question mark in that operators without subsidy believe they can come in and compete against the subsidised operator." Mr Black told MSPs the NorthLink bid to run the service had been the cheapest and said: "It's my conclusion the Scottish Executive carried out a robust tendering exercise." The committee was told that the new contract to run the services should be in place by April this year. Dover port ferry traffic hits new heightsDate: 10 Jan 2006Source: Dover Port Over two million lorries passed through Dover Ferry Port in 2005 whilst the number of tourist cars increased by two per cent compared to 2004. It is the first time the port has processed two million lorries in a single year and the growth of three per cent would have been far greater but for operational difficulties in Calais early in the year. For the second year running tourist car traffic showed growth giving credence to the theory that leisure travellers are rediscovering the benefits of travelling door-to-door by car compared to air travel. The number of journeys was up two per cent to nearly 2.6 million. A downturn in the Continental coach market affected the port with the number of journeys down 16 per cent to 107,541. This had a significant impact on the number of passengers who used the port which decreased 7 per cent to 13.3 million. Bob Goldfield, the port’s Chief Executive, commented: “Overall this is a very satisfactory ferry traffic performance which, combined with efficiencies which continue to be introduced and the performance of our other businesses, will deliver an excellent financial report. “These traffic figures are in line with forecasts in our masterplan and underpin the need to start planning now for additional facilities and innovative traffic management solutions that will be required to meet the growing demand for ferry services from the Port of Dover.” Overhaul on IOM Superseacat underwayDate: 9 Jan 2006Source: BBC News The fast ferry from the Isle of Man to Liverpool is being overhauled. Maintenance checks were due to start on the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's craft Superseacat Two at the dry dock at Birkenhead on Monday. Passenger areas will be improved, alongside the completion of standard engine maintenance. A cafe bar is being created, its lounge extended and toilet facilities upgraded. The work will also give improved access for wheelchair users. During the absence of Superseacat Two, the Liverpool weekend schedules will be maintained by fast craft Sea Express 1, formerly Seacat Isle of Man, the company said. The Superseacat Two is the first of the firm's fleet to be upgraded. Luxury Ferry takes to the Irish SeaDate: 7 Jan 2006Source: Norse Merchant The 26,500 tonne Mersey Viking joins sister ship, the Lagan Viking, which Norse Merchant Ferries introduced to the route six months ago. The arrival of the Italian built vessel has allowed the movement of the Liverpool Viking to Dublin for the resumption of a twice-daily service for passengers and accompanying freight between there and Liverpool. The company said the introduction of the new ships enabled them to meet rising demand and consolidate their position as a leading ferry operator on the Irish Sea. Philip Shepherd, NorseMerchant Ferries managing director, said: "The arrival of this latest ship and upgrading of all our services demonstrates our confidence for the future. "There is tremendous potential for growth in the Irish Sea market and these moves will help us to increase our passenger numbers and also consolidate freight volumes." Competition set to increase between Norway and DenmarkDate: 4 Jan 2006Source: Shippax As from April/May next year, Master Ferries will deploy the former MADS MOLS between Kristiansand and Hanstholm. The company’s plans will mean head to head competition with Color Line, which operates routes from Kristiansand to Hirtshals, Denmark. Color also has routes from Larvik and Oslo to Hirtshals. Color Line recently signed a contract for two newbuildings for its Norway-Denmark routes. Master Ferries’ intention is to compete on price and time. The lowest price for a single two-hour crossing with the 91m Incat craft will be NOK 9. “Prices for air travel have fallen drastically, so we think it is logical that they decrease also at sea,” a spokesman tells Norwegian daily newspaper Dagens Næringsliv. The former MADS MOLS will be deployed as MASTER CAT. It has capacity for 900 passengers and 220 cars. |
||||
|
|||||||
