However, Senator Lyndon Farnham has said that there will still be a higher number of crossings between Jersey, the other Channel Islands and Normandy compared to 2017.
Last year, Manche-Iles Express, who are based in Granville, were asked to run around 70 additional services between Jersey and Guernsey by the islands’ governments, alongside their normal timetable. But, during the busy Bastille Day weekend in July, both of the company’s high-speed passenger ferries broke down within a day of each other – leaving 300 people stranded in either Jersey or Normandy.
The Victor Hugo was repaired soon after. However, Granville – the firm’s other vessel – needed to have a new engine installed and was out of action until mid-August, causing a number of crossings to be cancelled.
Speaking this week, Senator Farnham said that there would still be an enhanced timetable operating this year but that
he did not currently have the figures to illustrate this.
‘They put on extra services last year but they were somewhat interrupted with technical issues.
‘Now they are coming back with an enhanced timetable, compared to 2017, and no requirement for a subsidy.
‘The Channel Islands do very well out of Manche-Iles Express, which is subsidised by the French taxpayer. I am meeting the Department of Normandy at the end of the month in Paris at the Salon d’Agriculture and I will be discussing this with them.’
According to a ministerial decision signed by Senator Farnham in December, Jersey paid £20,384 to Manche-Iles Express, with the money coming from the Tourism Development Fund. The same amount was paid to the ferry company by Guernsey.
The JEP attempted to contact Manche-Iles Express for comment but no one was available.
