FERRY operators are considering all available options in the fight against rising fuel costs, Condor and HD Ferries have confirmed.
Both operators have reduced their schedules in an effort to stave off the increasing cost of running their vessels.
Condor has removed a number of services run on its Vitesse vessel, which operates between the UK and St Malo and stops off at one of either Guernsey or Jersey each way.
Nick Dobbs, general sales and marketing manager at Condor, said the global rise in fuel costs was presenting challenges for all transport operators and consumers.
‘At Condor Ferries we have reviewed and optimised our 2008 schedules to ensure the minimum of inconvenience to our customers and have absorbed much of the fuel price rises ourselves,’ he said.
‘Of the 1,308 services scheduled to operate to and from Guernsey this year, we have withdrawn 34 off-peak services between May and September on days when a convenient alternative service was available.’
HD Ferries has reduced its service from 18 sailings a week to 16 and Phil Jones, spokesman for the operator, said the reduction was necessary.
‘We have been adjusting our schedule a little bit lately to make sure that we are carrying as many people on each service as possible,’ he said.
‘We have two goals. The first is that we don’t want to have to introduce fuel surcharges. And the second is we
want to keep our prices low. So optimising our schedule helps us to do these two things.’
Stena Line, one of the biggest ferry companies in the world, announced this week that it was to reduce the speed of its vessels to save fuel.
And Mr Dobbs confirmed that Condor is considering doing the same in an effort to conserve oil.
‘I have no doubts that all operators will be considering their options with regards to reducing fuel costs by slowing down their vessels, he said.
Mr Dobbs said there did not seem to be any indication at the moment that fuel prices would go down.
‘We have to end up in a situation where we manage our vessels and services we operate in a way that will help mitigate these rising fuel costs.
‘We are looking at the options.’
‘If you travel at a nice steady speed in a car the whole time, you burn less fuel. If you put your foot down, you burn more.
‘It’s an issue that is a challenge facing all transport operators.’
It is believed container ships bringing freight from manufacturing centres in the Far East to Europe are also slowing down to save fuel, adding two or three days to a voyage.
However, Mr Jones said HD Ferries had no immediate plans to slow HD1 down, although he did admit the tactic could be used in the future.
‘But we have other avenues that we are looking at before we would go down that route.’
Article posted on 27th June, 2008 - 2.30pm
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