Ferry/Tunnel Cartel Under Threat

As the former owner of a house in delightful rural Brittany, my cross-channel ferry journeys between 1990 and 2001 numbered in excess of five each year. Although it has never been particularly cheap to cross the narrow strip of water separating us from the Continent, until 2000 there always seemed to be some point in seeking the best price. From 2000 onwards it became pointless. The ferry companies and the operators of the Channel Tunnel would surely deny any collaboration or cartel operation, but in or around the turn of the century all fares became remarkably similar, a fact that has attracted an investigation by the European Commission.

The opening of the Channel Tunnel should have provided real competition for the ferries and there should have been an incentive to compete rather than cosy up together to charge as much as the public would pay. There is, of course, the heavily discounted fare for the 'booze cruiser' who makes occasional (or even daily) visits to the Continent to stock-up. This car travels almost empty on the outward journey and is often laden beyond the legal weight limit for the return. It takes up the same deck or carriage space as the car owned by the holidaymaker who is off to France or beyond for a couple of weeks away from his home in 'big brother Britain". For this week away from constant surveillance by CCTV and freedom from the revenue gathering speed cameras, the holidaymaker can pay more than 50 times the amount paid by the day tripper! Not any more.

Bring on Curt Stavis - the Danish entrepreneur founder of SpeedFerries who is copying what the low cost airlines did in the aviation business and introduced a similarly inexpensive ferry service. Starting on 19th May 2004, using a former Australian Navy Cat aptly named 'Speed One', Speedferries offers a minimum £50 return for a car and passengers, with fares rising as the ferry becomes more fully booked, to a maximum of about £300; still an attractive fare compared with those offered by the existing operators.

The former 'HMAS Jervis Bay' can carry 200 cars and 800 passengers at more than 40 knots, giving a journey time of 50 minutes when the Speedferries new venture reopens the Dover to Boulogne route that has been the venue for past failures. The difference today is that considerable investment has been undertaken to make the port of Boulogne attractive to passengers. Given that arrival and departure procedures are efficient, Boulogne should be an attractive destination for UK travellers, particularly if it is possible to find a southerly route that avoids Rouen!

According to the Sunday Times of 9th May 2004, Mr Stavis and his new service have been the subject of a whispering campaign. When you threaten a cartel with efficient competition you are likely to attract a little attention. Competition has far more effect than the European Commission will ever have, they keep their teeth in a jar!

Good luck to this venture!

Good News - The On-Line booking service is now Macintosh Compatible