Scrutiny releases interim report following review of Jersey’s ferry service and contract
Scrutiny
6 March 2026
The Economic and International Affairs Scrutiny Panel has made a number of recommendations for how Jersey’s ferry service could be improved, and the steps the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development should take to ensure governance and monitoring is undertaken so the needs of Islanders, visitors and businesses are being met.The Panel launched a review in November 2025 to examine the terms of the Concession Agreement, signed by the Government of Jersey and DFDS, to assess how the ferry service is meeting its obligations since it was introduced in March last year.
The Panel has now published an interim report which sets out the evidence it has gathered from Islanders, businesses and key stakeholders, to better understand how the service aligns with the contract and the public’s expectations.
The Panel has highlighted 11 key findings and made 21 recommendations in the report, which include:
- An independent review of the flat-rate freight fee to assess its impact on local businesses and customers.
- Formally requesting the ferry operator to explore the options available for reducing journey times to France.
- Working with the ferry operator to ensure a frequency traveller discount scheme is implemented as soon as possible, and that ticket prices are appropriate and justifiable.
- Proactively working with the States of Guernsey and other key stakeholders to develop a long-term solution for the inter-island connections.
The Panel also recommends that the results of any reviews and data collected through the monitoring of service should be published by the Minister for Sustainable Economic Development.
Deputy Montfort Tadier, the Chair of the Panel, said: ‘It is clear that the service Islanders and businesses are experiencing does not match the expectations they may have had, and this has resulted in much public commentary about the slow sailing times, lack of daytrips to St. Malo, condition of the vessels and prices. Local businesses and retailers have also been critical of the flat-rate freight prices that were introduced as part of the contract. This review has highlighted that, while some of the early problems can be attributed to the short lead-in time DFDS faced due to the tender process, others are as a direct result of the Concession Agreement. The Panel has found that some areas of the contract do not contain concrete requirements which can lead to differences in how they are interpreted by each party. While it is not possible at this stage for the contract to be renegotiated, there are mechanisms available that the Minister can use to request variations, and we strongly recommend that he use them to address the concerns raised. As this is an interim report, we will be suggesting that the next Panel carry out a further review of the service once sufficient time has passed to allow for comparisons to be made.’
You can read the report in full on the States Assembly website and more information about the review can be found on the Scrutiny pages.
