The island’s Policy & Finance Committee has renewed its subsidy at the same level as last year, but there’s a condition attached to that payment.
That is that if a new vessel or significant changes are proposed for the Guernsey-Alderney ferry service, P&F will take a fresh look.
It arose out of the fact that The Little Ferry Company is considering using a larger vessel for the Guernsey-Alderney route but this would raise marine licensing issues, according to the Surface Transport Action Group which reported to P&F.
Despite many cancellations due to adverse weather conditions last summer, the Little Ferry transported 2,169 passengers from Guernsey to Alderney and a similar number from Alderney to Guernsey between the end of May and end of September. Almost 60% of passengers using the service were visitors to the island.
P&F Members also called for an integrated transport policy and have asked civil servants and transport action groups to begin the groundwork.
The Committee was told that a larger vessel might be able to operate on both an inter- island and a cross-channel basis but there are a number of difficulties facing such a proposal, such as operational regulations for international waters, demand uncertainty and Harbour infrastructure.
Pictured top: The Little Ferry.