Commerce and Employment

Raymond Falla House

P O Box 459

Longue Rue

St Martins

Guernsey

GY1 6AF

 

 

Dear Sir

 

 

Thank you for giving the CGi an opportunity to comment on the Briefing Paper. Transport links to the island are vital, and the briefing paper summarizes very well the current situation.

The businesses represented by the CGi are very reliant on good and reliable services, and need to know that into the future, these will not be jeopardised and remain competitively priced.

 

Our comments on the document can be summarised as follows :

 

The Commerce and Employment Department have the joint role of promoting and licensing the routes. In so doing it wishes to have more than one operator on various routes.

The department is supposed to be independent of any commercial operation, but comes into conflict with operators due to the States investment in Aurigny.

 

Whilst there is an External Transport Group, we believe this is made up solely of States members/Employees. An independent advisory committee made up from organisations such as the CGi or Chamber of Commerce, may free the Department of any bias. Whilst we recognise it could become “top heavy or unwieldy”, we believe it is worthy of consideration. However we do acknowledge that it is essential that any independent body is able to respond quickly.

 

These have effectively become less restrictive although not open skies over the past few years.

 

There is effectively an “open seas” policy on the French route, but a protected policy to the UK. This is at odds with the stance taken on the air routes when additional carriers are being sought.

Whilst we understand why this is being considered, the current financial position of Condor is unknown, and the management of the company has been taken away totally from the islands.

 

Giving Condor a protected route, with effectively no guarantees on pricing, we consider to be dangerous, as it will preclude any other genuine operator from providing a service in the future.

 

Although we are basically in agreement with the Policy Document we would prefer the sole operator status of the UK sea route to be left undecided, until the long-term future of Condor is assured, and the benefit to the community is clarified.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

 

 

Martyn Langlois

Transportation Committee

Confederation of Guernsey Industry