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Latest Ferry NewsThe latest ferry news for March 2008 is below:
Cross Channel ferry strike overDate: 17 Mar 2008Source: BBC News A strike by ferry workers in France that led to traffic disruption across Kent has ended in a pay rise for staff. SeaFrance said management and officers had signed an agreement and sailings between Dover and Calais would resume on Friday afternoon. The ferry operator said a full service would resume on Saturday. The industrial action lasted for more than two weeks and saw Channel-bound freight having to park on the M20 to await crossings, under Operation Stack. SeaFrance workers first staged a 24-hour walkout on 27 February, but the action then continued until the agreement was signed on Friday. Service resuming A statement issued by the ferry operator said management and officers had agreed on a pay rise for chief officers, second engineers and second officers, in return for productivity gains. It said: "SeaFrance apologises again to its customers for the inconvenience of recent weeks and is preparing to resume its service at the normal level of excellence that its customers have come to expect as soon as possible." Operation Stack resumed on the M20 on Friday morning before the industrial action ended. Police implemented phase two, which sees the coastbound carriageway closed between junctions eight and nine and used as a car park for trucks awaiting ferry crossings. Motorists were advised to avoid the area. Lorry park plan The force said Operation Stack would remain until the freight backlog cleared, after the resolution of the dispute. Chief Constable Mike Fuller said Stack was "an emergency provision" that led to "disruption and congestion". He said: "This was a chronic problem that was unprecedented in Kent's transport history." He welcomed proposals by Kent County Council for a lorry park, which were announced on Wednesday. Service disruptions due to weatherDate: 11 Mar 2008Source: BBC News Several ferry services are currently disrupted due to adverse weather conditions. For sailing updates, please follow This Link Cost of flying set to soarDate: 11 Mar 2008Source: Travel Weekly The Civil Aviation Authority has granted BAA the right to increase airport charges by up to 23.4% from 1 April 2008. The details of the price controls issued today allow charges of a maximum £12.80 per passenger during 2008/09 at Heathrow, an increase of £2.44 on a like-for-like basis. At Gatwick the passenger charge maximum is £6.79 per passenger during 2008/09, an increase of 21% in real terms. The CAA says it recognises the increase in charges is significant but the higher charges are to fund the modernisation of both Heathrow and Gatwick. The CAA has revealed that the charges at Heathrow will fund the capital and operating costs for Terminal 5 which comes into service on 27 March 2008 and the construction of Heathrow East Terminal by 2013. At Gatwick the charges will fund the redevelopment of the South Terminal and a new baggage system. The regulator has confirmed a range of financial incentives are being introduced which will provide rebates for bad service and bonuses if BAA reaches it targets. Get to Spain in almost half the time via SantanderDate: 9 Mar 2008Source: Directferries.co.uk If you're planning a short break to Spain before the peak of summer then look no further than the faster more luxurious Brittany Ferries crossing from Plymouth to Santander. Due to the sheer luxury of their award winning vessels, the trip to Santander could never be classed as 'cheap', so we're referring to this offer as a 'low cost' deal... Travel from Plymouth to Santander from just £105 each way until July with car and 2 passengers. Valid for return sailings only and for up to 5 days abroad. On board accommodation is extra. For more information, or to make a booking, please visit our Plymouth to Santander Ferry page and enter your details into the fare search. Please note, supplements may apply during peak times and offer is subject to availability. Ferries to Brittany and Normandy from £59Date: 9 Mar 2008Source: Directferries.co.uk Brittany Ferries have announced some fantastic low cost deals aboard their luxury Cruise ferries and High Speed services from Portsmouth, Poole and Plymouth to Caen, St Malo, Cherbourg and Roscoff: Portsmouth Caen - from £59 - Monday to Thursday on afternoon sailings from Portsmouth, morning sailings from Caen. Poole Cherbourg - from £59 - Any sailings, Sunday to Thursday Portsmouth St Malo - from £69 - Sunday to Wednesday, evening sailing from Portsmouth, morning sailing from St Malo Plymouth Roscoff - from £64 - Sunday to Thursday, 10:30 sailings from Plymouth, 22:00 sailings from Roscoff All prices are each way, for a car + 2, valid for up to 5 days on the continent and do not include onboard accommodation or seating. For more information or to make a booking, please visit the following pages: - Brittany Ferries - Portsmouth Caen Ferry - Poole Cherbourg Ferry - Plymouth Roscoff Ferry - Portsmouth St Malo Ferry Please note, supplements may apply during peak times and offer is subject to availability. Strike continues - Port of Dover disruptedDate: 7 Mar 2008Source: Holiday Extras The port of Dover is once again being affected by a strike by SeaFrance officers in Calais, leading to Operation Stack being implemented on the M20 in Kent. A statement on the SeaFrance website reads: “SeaFrance regrets to inform you that due to industrial action by Officers, all crossings are currently suspended. The SeaFrance strike began last week and, although workers are in talks with management, shows no sign of ending. Unions in France are asking for a pay rise which amounts to around 25% over three years. SeaFrance says it is booking passengers onto crossings with other ferry operators at the port of Dover. Only SeaFrance ferries are affected by the strike action but passengers travelling with other ferry operators are also advised to check that their ferry is not disrupted. As a result of the SeaFrance strike, Kent Police have once again implemented Operation Stack on the M20 in Kent. The coastbound M20 is now closed between junction 8 for Leeds Castle and junction 9 for Ashford, and between junction 11 for Hythe and junction 12 for Cheriton. Lorries are being parked on the sections of the motorway that have been closed. All non-freight traffic is being diverted onto the A20 at junction 8. Last night long queues were reported on the A20 and motorists are being advised to avoid the area. While Operation Stack is being implemented the major roadworks on the A20 in Dover between the Eastern Docks and Western Heights roundabout have been suspended. Outside the times when Operation Stack is in force, motorists travelling to the port of Dover are advised to allow extra time to get to the ferry because of the roadworks on the A20 near the ferry terminals. SNCF called upon to break SeaFrance deadlockDate: 5 Mar 2008Source: Lloyds List A french union confederation has called on SeaFrance’s parent, national rail company SNCF, to intervene in the dispute which has halted the ferry company’s sailings between Dover and Calais for the last eight days. The CGT confederation, to which SeaFrance’s striking officers belong, called on the chairman of SNCF to use his authority to force the company’s management to open negotiations with the strikers without conditions. SeaFrance chairman Eudes Riblier insisted today, however, that he would not talk to union representatives so long as the strike, which he said was costing the company E300,000 per day, continued. “The situation at SeaFrance is grave,” he said in a letter to personnel. “I am open, as I have always been, to social dialogue but this cannot be exercised under pressure of strike.” Mr. Riblier insisted that the salary increases sought by the company’s seafarers could not be granted without corresponding productivity gains but said that he had submitted that their other claims to the French authorities for advice. Apart from their salary claims, which SeaFrance says would amount to an increase of 25% over three years, the officers are pressing for authorisation to stay aboard ships for up to 72 hours rather than 48 hours at present and to have dropped the requirement that they live within two hours drive of the port of Calais. Transportation method becoming Ferry popular!Date: 4 Mar 2008Source: Travel Weekly Ferry holidays have seen an increase for the second year running, according to figures released by the Passenger Shipping Association. A total of 43 million passenger ferry journeys were taken between British ports and the continent, Ireland and British islands in 2007 - an increase of 419,000 journeys from 2006. UK to Ireland routes were particularly strong, with numbers up from 5.3m to 5.5m. There was a 3.8% increase in the number of cars on passenger ferries. Director of the Passenger Shipping Association Bill Gibbons said people were turning away from "airport misery". "Travellers who vote with their feet and switch to ferry travel are finding a radically different experience. This is a very exciting time for ferry travel, particularly in the year of the PSA's 50th anniversary." Newhaven Ferry Port improvementsDate: 3 Mar 2008Source: Eastbourne Herald Theresa Villiers, shadow secretary of state for transport, visited Newhaven Ferry Port earlier this month. She saw for herself the progress recently achieved by LD Lines in developing passenger and freight services. On a visit to the renovated Transmanche terminal buildings at Newhaven she supported current investments aimed at the improvement of port facilities and development of ferry services from the town. Ms Villiers was particularly impressed by the two ships in the Transmanche fleet – the Seven Sisters and the Cote d'Albâtre – and was treated to a sneak preview of the new Haven Café, due to open next month at the terminal. Ferry services have increased to three a day since early January which will rise to four during the summer season (from May 1), with three daily departures to Dieppe, and one between Newhaven and Le Havre. Since its launch last year, the services are proving a big hit with tourists and freight companies alike. For more information or to make a booking, please visit the following links: - Newhaven Ferry - LD Lines - Transmanche Ferries - Ferries to France Major roadworks affecting journey times to Dover Ferry PortDate: 1 Mar 2008Source: Highways Agency What is happening? The Highways Agency is going to replace the existing road surface on both carriageways and on all five roundabouts on the A20 in Dover from the Western Heights Roundabout (Aycliff Roundabout) to the Eastern Docks Roundabout. The work will be undertaken in thirteen sections (ten phases as some are combined) using five different diversion routes. When will the works take place? The works will begin on Monday 3rd March and will take between 12 and 15 weeks to complete. The works will be stopped for: - Easter (from midday on 20th March until midday on 25th March), - All Bank Holidays (from midday on 1st May until midday on 6th May, and from midday on 22nd May until midday on 27th May) - During the Dover Maritime Festival (from midday on 27th March until midday on 31st March). Why are they doing the works? They are replacing the road surface to improve the overall safety of the A20 for all road users. This will include providing greater skid resistance, removing the existing ruts in the road and replacing the existing line markings to increase their visibility. They will be replacing the existing road surface with low noise material, which will help reduce the level of noise for all road users and those living nearby. During the works, the existing road will be strengthened to increase its lifespan and the manhole covers will be replaced to reduce possible future disruption. Will Operation Stack affect the works? They will be working closely with Kent Police to identify when Operation Stack is likely to be implemented and if likely, works will be suspended as soon as safe to do so. Depending on the stage of works it may be necessary to maintain lane or road closures, however they will do everything possible to open lanes as soon as we can. How will the weather affect the works? Poor weather conditions could result in the works being suspended, which could result in the works taking longer to complete. For more information, please visit the Highways Agency page by following this link: www.highways.gov.uk |
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