Manche des Iles: A failed experiment

A recent Channel News report has reported that only 332 passengers took advantage of the Manche des Iles express in Jersey and Guernsey over the Summer.

As the service was underwritten by the States, both Islands are now down £20,000. That also means Islanders now must rely on Condor Ferries to travel between Jersey and Guernsey. This is potentially worrying given concern raised by people like Jersey Evening Post columnist Rob Duhamel about food shortages about food shortages post-Brexit. As Rob points out, even without the UK crashing out of the EU supermarket shelves can run bare in bad weather, mainly caused by over-reliance on ultra0light ferries which are unable to withstand the assault of stormy waves around the Channel Islands.

Economic Minister Lynden Farham has suggested that Condor invests in another regular shop to keep goods and passengers moving but there's
also a strong precedent for the States to do this themselves: over in Guernsey the government bought in 2007 to ensure reliable air links.

When all else failed, the people of Alderney even requested a barge to bring in vital supplies a few years back. As quaint an image as this paints, there's no reason Jersey can't scale up this idea, leaving us in control of at least one transport link.

Nathan Jordan.

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