Last week we asked one question: how to restore customer confidence on passenger ferries, in post-corona times?
A big thank you to all 128 people who responded.
By far the preferred answer is “with flexible booking possibilities” (71%).
Drastic Measures For Passengers Travelling By Ferry In Greece
Greek Ferry Travel To Start On May 18
On May 8, the Greek Minister of Shipping and Island Policy announced the new protocol for passengers travelling by ferry.
However, those measures have caused reasonable concern to the Greek Ferry Operators as Covid-19 will apparently change the way we used to travel.
In any case, and according to a Hellenic Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy official announcement, travel to the Greek islands by ferry will start on May 18, 2020.
The next ‘Decreto Rilancio’ law expected to be approved by the Italian government this week will extend the public subsidies to Tirrenia – CIN (Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione) for a maximum of 12 months, from the end of the current general state of emergency which expires on July 31.
In case the emergency will be prolonged, the expiring date of the public subsidies follows.
According to the agreement signed in 2012 (when Moby purchased the former public company Tirrenia trough CIN), the subsidies should end on July 18. (EUR 72 million per year)
Now the Italian government allocated another EUR 30.2 million and 42.4 million for 2020 and 2021 respectively, subject to approval of the European Commission.
CIN, company of the Moby group, did not pay the first and the second deferred payments, expired in April 2016 and 2019, and worth respectively EUR 55 and 60 million. Therefore the ‘bad’ company Tirrenia in Amministrazione Straordinaria, controlled by the Italian economic development ministry, is still looking for a solution. According to some rumours (and not denied) by ShippingItaly.it, the Italian government is considering a ‘rescue plan’ similar to the one planned for the national airlines Alitalia in the recent past. In case, a new company, in which the State participates, and in partnership with one or more private investors would take control of Tirrenia’s assets and pay EUR 180 million to the bad company. One of them might be Grimaldi Group.
As of 14 May 2020, legislative restrictions on border traffic will be lifted for cross-border traffic within the Schengen area by allowing commuter traffic based on employment or assignment and other essential traffic.
It is no longer necessary to provide reasons for the necessity to travel.
Internal border control will continue at land borders, ports and airports. It is still not recommended to travel abroad for leisure.
Damen Yichang Shipyard in China hosted a steel cutting ceremony with a difference. As a result of safety measures surrounding the global COVID-19 outbreak, the occasion of first steel cut for a Damen RoPax Ferry 6716 for the Government of Timor-Leste was marked by a digital gathering. (27 April).
Attendees of the online ceremony included representatives of the Government of Timor-Leste and Damen employees in both China and the Netherlands. The delegates gathered at their individual computers at 14.50 China Standard time (15.50 in Timor-Lest and 08.50 in the Netherlands) to listen to speeches. After this, Damen Yichang Shipyard General Manager Mr Deng Zhiping pushed the button and the first steel was cut.
When completed, the 67 x 16 metres vessel will operate a route between Timor-Leste’s capital Dili, the Oecusse enclave and the island of Ataúro. She will carry up to 308 passengers, plus vehicles and goods. The project is co-funded by the governments of Timor-Leste and Germany and is scheduled to begin operations in 2021.
P&O Ferries has submitted an HR1 form, this is an advance notification of redundancies.
Up to 1,100 jobs on passenger routes from Dover and Hull are at risk. P&O has furloughed 1,400 staff since the pandemic broke out.
The company is seeking voluntary redundancies before moving on to a selection process. Consultation will run for a period of 45 days, until 24 June 2020.
Five ropax ferries are currently laid up: PRIDE OF CANTERBURY, PRIDE OF BURGUNDY, EUROPEAN SEAWAY, PRIDE OF BRUGES and PRIDE OF YORK.
Seatruck has come in for criticism from the unions for pushing ahead with a pay cut. CEO Alistair Eagles was fast to clarify in social media. “We want to save jobs so we have deferred (not cut) pay for shore staff and crew for three months. Everyone will get in back in the future when the days are brighter. These are challenging times for the entire transport system.”
The Prime Minister of the UK and the President of France agreed to work together in taking forward appropriate border measures. This cooperation is particularly necessary for the management of our common border.
No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner. A working group between the two governments will be set up to ensure this consultation throughout the coming weeks.
Operations on the scheduled Bergen – Kirkenes – Bergen voyages will be suspended until June 15.
Hurtigruten is planning for a gradual restart of operations on the Norwegian coast. The first planned departure will be FINNMARKEN from Bergen on June 16.
Following June 16, the company will make decisions for each and every voyage individually.
In agreement with the Norwegian Ministry of Transport, Hurtigruten has deployed two ships in an amended domestic schedule. The newly upgraded RICHARD WITH and VESTERÅLEN is bringing critical supplies and goods to local Norwegian communities. This service will continue through June 15.
Following the announcement from Baleària last week, the Italian ferry company Caronte & Tourist is working with Rina Consulting towards being the first operator ‘Covid-free’ in Italy, to obtain the correct instructions for transporting passengers safely next summer.
Before the end of June, Caronte & Tourist will have to implement specific procedures, cleaning plans, organisational and personal protective measures to prevent Covid-19., under the supervision of Rina.
Vincenzo Franza, CEO of the Messina-based ferry company, said that “to be compliant with the new rules, passenger capacity will be reduced 50%, in order to guarantee the necessary social distance. There will also be new procedures and one-way corridors”.
For the very short routes the company will also ask the possibility for the passengers to stay in their cars during the crossing.
