Minister taking “legal advice” over Condor’s service levels

Thursday 03 March 2016

Legal advice is being taken about options over Condor’s contract after the minister responsible said he had “lost confidence in their assurances that everything is going to get better”.

On the anniversary of the first sailing of Condor’s £90 million Liberation fast ferry – which has been beset by difficulties and breakdowns since it came into operation – the Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham said that he, like many Islanders, had run out of patience with the ferry firm.

Condor’s contract, signed in August 2014, still has another eight and a half years to run, but Senator Farnham says that he has asked lawyers to explore what options he has as minister.

But he said that there were no companies queuing up to take over the service from the firm.

Senator Farnham said: “I’m waiting for legal advice on the contract to see what options we have got.

“We have to remember that there is nobody waiting in the wings at the moment.

“Nothing would give me greater pleasure than for Condor to get it absolutely right and get the service that everyone deserves but I have lost confidence in their assurances that everything is going to get better.

“In the meantime, we need to be thinking about changes in the future.”

The Senator also emphasised that the contract was signed before he took on the role as Economic Development Minister after the October 2014 elections.

He said: “I am not taking the blame for what went on before I was minister but I will take responsibility for the future and for ensuring that Jersey ends up with a reliable ferry service. That might not be with Condor in the fullness of time – it’s up to them to get it right.

“The contract was signed in August 2014 and I inherited it. It was put together by the Economic Development department, the Ports of Jersey and the Law Officer’s department. “It has eight and a half years left to run.

“There are performance measures. And of course, either party can break the contract with an agreed run-off period.”