First sailing of new Portsmouth to Jersey DFDS ferry service from port

The News, Portsmouth

DFDS has a 20-year-contract with the port, and has responded to the controversy surrounding the bidding process.

Transcript

01:30I don't know where it is, I'll get there in a second, just wait.

01:34No, that's it, can I go?

01:36I won't bother you, I'll just get it.

01:38I'll just get it.

01:40That's it.

01:44That's it, that's it.

01:46Yeah, that's it, that's it.

01:48Yeah, that's it.

01:50That's it.

01:52Thank you very much.

02:14We are super excited to be serving Jersey as the 20 year contract starts today.

02:21And the whole team has been working up to this for the last three months.

02:25It's been an intense project and we're so excited to be serving the Jersey Islands.

02:30And how much impact has this contract had on DFDS as a business?

02:33It must be a significant addition.

02:35It is a significant addition and it's not every day that you get to open up a brand new route.

02:40And the Jersey route is a freight route and passenger route.

02:44And it's been extremely intense over the last three months during the planning and execution of what we need to do.

02:49So why has DFDS taken on this route between Jersey and Port St. Paul?

02:54It's a natural fit to where we are.

02:56We've got a big service between Dover Calais and Dover Dunkirk.

03:00We also operate New Haven Dept for the French region.

03:03So it's a natural progression of the channel.

03:06We're very much, our foot is in the channel and this is a natural progression.

03:13Do you see the route being more popular with freight or passengers or will it be in between?

03:17It's predominantly a lifelong freight route but it's also important for tourists as well.

03:21We're extremely happy to be serving it and we want to be part of the solution for Jersey tourism.

03:29We work very closely with all the Jersey stakeholders to increase the tourists into the Channel Islands.

03:36But also into Saint Malo in France as well and into the UK.

03:40But also keep the freight flowing and keep the goods on the islands.

03:44Do you see the route being popular to tourists?

03:46Yes we do, absolutely.

03:48It's a duty free route between the UK and Jersey.

03:51I think day trip passengers and also short break passengers will have a fantastic time in Jersey.

03:56There have been a little bit of changes with the changing companies.

04:01Also some of the Sunday service has been cut for passengers.

04:04Why did the company make that decision?

04:06Because some of the passengers I've spoken to rely on the Sunday service.

04:10Out of Portsmouth there hasn't been a Sunday service.

04:14It's predominantly freight driven with the ROPAX vessels.

04:18Freight doesn't flow on a Sunday.

04:20So yes we'd very much like to do things out of pool on a Sunday.

04:24And we can do the day trips there.

04:26But for the freight that's during the week and it's predominantly a six day business.

04:30The company was put under a little bit of pressure.

04:33It wasn't smooth sailing to go all the way through with the contracts and so on.

04:36There have been accusations from the Jersey Minister of a smear campaign going on with a rival company.

04:42How did DFDS manage to deal with all of that and the noise going on during the bidding process?

04:48I think we just get our heads down and focus on what the prize is.

04:52And we leave the politics to the politicians.

04:55With all that politics in the background do you think DFDS will be able to win over some of the doubts?

05:02I think with anything we start a new service.

05:04DFDS has a huge maritime history.

05:06Over 157 years.

05:08We're not newcomers to it.

05:10And we're hoping that over the 20 years the hearts and minds will be with the Jersey people.

05:16And finally how much are you looking forward to serving the people of Portsmouth?

05:21Absolutely. It's part of the deal.

05:23I mean Jersey, Portsmouth.

05:24Portsmouth is a great place for the UK and you can explore with tourists and things.

05:29So we're very much looking forward to working with Portsmouth International Port.

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