Vitesse and Rapide are up to speed but Express goes faulty
Tuesday 21st June 2011, 2:29PM BST.
JUST one day after Condor resumed its normal service, another of its vessels developed a technical fault.
The Condor Express, the only one of the company’s three fast catamarans unaffected by problems in recent weeks, was forced to cut short its sailing from Poole to St Malo for essential maintenance.
Condor Ferries Guernsey director Ian Milner apologised for the disruption to passengers.
‘A minor technical issue with the starboard ramp on Condor Express was found during routine overnight maintenance,’ he said. ‘In order to repair the ramp it was decided to reschedule Condor Express so that it can be in Poole all evening, where our engineers will be able to effect repairs more readily.’
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If this fault hadn’t come right after the recent engine problems and ‘mass hysteria’ surrounding them, it wouldn’t have even been mentioned.
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You might make light of it Sean but if your travel plans had been disrupted you wouldn’t think the same.
Condor must go and the sooner the better.
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it is so easy to slag off whats happening to condor but no one else seems interested in serving the islands. yes granted its a pain if caught in the delays but getting rid of them is this realy a clever idea?
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It’s just one thing after another. This is probably how Condor will limp along all season. There is always an apology from the top, but peoples holiday plans are still disrupted.
Must do better. F-
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If condor goes we simply will have less travel options and the plane fares will probably then rise.
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I phone Condor today. All vessels are now operating on time and to schedule and any delays today are due to the high winds (Parents due to travel back from UK), although I don’t think there’s a delay at the moment… so in the space of this story being printed (yesterday) it’s now sorted. If the GP are interested my flight was delayed the other day due to a light or something in the cockpit then delayed again due to fog.
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Jason
Your idea that the cost of air travel would rise if Condor pulls out doesn’t stand the simplest scrutiny. There is competition on air routes which keeps fares down. As well as the fact that we the taxpayer own Aurigny. Thus in extremis the taxpayer via the States as shareholder could control the fares Aurigny charges.
I agree there might be some short term disruption if Condor pulled out, but as I have said before, there is nothing to stop the States owning a ferry company as well as an airline.
You might also consider, do we want a slow lingering death of the very poor ferry services that affects us all and tourism for years to come or would it be better for a short sharp shock if they pulled out tomorrow?
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Chris, The States are operating Aurigny at a loss do we really want something else draining the coffers?
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chris,
And where do you suggest our States find the money to buy or set up a ferry company?
I’ve not really much idea on cost but it has to be tens of millions, how would they look to finance it?
Let me guess – more taxes!!
Bad idea.
Whilst I agree Condor service is a lot way short of perfect we would be in serious trouble if they did pull out and leave us with nothing, I’m not seeing too many operators offering to take over the route!
The option of travelling on the Clipper is available to those who need a guaranteed sailing, although it is a long trip at least you know that barring a hurricane you will get there and arrive a sensible time (7.00am) which is more can be said for the (supposedly)fast aluminium cattle ships!
Slow boat every time for me!
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chris,
One more thing, how can you reasonably say the airline competition keeps fares down?
I wouldn’t say that the £200-odd quid return fare (and sometimes more) charged for one person to the UK is cheap.
Compared with boat travel it is a total rip-
off, also due to weather and technical issues air travel is probably just as unreliable if not worse — I can travel to the UK return with car,wife and child for not much more than a single air fare to Birmingham or Gatwick!!
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dd
Condor operates at a profit, that much is a given. If they did not then the private equity capital behind them would be moved out. Therefore there is no reason why a States owned ferry, maybe in conjunction with Jersey could not be operated at break even, taking into account provision for new equipment etc. A not for profit ferry would be good as the fares would be lower, more traffic would be generated on the routes.
I don’t know if Aurigny is going to operate at a loss for long or not. There are two points for you to consider however.
Even if it costs a couple of million a year, that is small change compared to what the States spend on other projects and you don’t seem to be complaining about them. We probably don’t know all the other spend that might be arguably less worthwhile. Ignorance is bliss. There is also the capital value of Aurigny to consider, the slots at Gatwick probably have a substantial value. Asset rich, income poor?
Secondly, isn’t it worth a cost to the States to have a guaranteed lifeline link? Protection against Flybe raising their fares if there was no competition, masters of our own destiny, beholden to no outside commercial interest that will not have our best interests at heart.
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Those wishing Condor would leave just ask one simple question, who would replace them? The answer is probably going to be no one. I know a few people who will never fly because they have a fear of flying and any ferry service is preferable for those people (unsurprisingly these same people have never been to Alderney).
Also anyone moaning about the length of time the Clipper takes obviously didn’t live here before 1993 when slow ferries was all we had.
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