Good News for Truckers: A Ferry Departure Every 36 Minutes
DFDS and P&O Ferries have entered into a mutual space charter agreement on the Dover-Calais ferry route.
Ferry Shipping News understands this has been under consideration for a long time.
Truck drivers will be able to board the next available sailing on the Dover-Calais route, regardless of which of the two companies is operating the crossing.
It will reduce the time drivers spend waiting at the ports, giving them access to a departure every 36 minutes and reducing gate-to-gate journey times by an estimated 30 minutes.
All commercial activities and relationships with freight customers remain entirely under the control of each operator. The Dover-Calais agreement is similar to space charter agreements entered into by DFDS on routes on the North Sea, the Baltic Sea and in the Mediterranean.
The new agreement is for freight vehicles only and does not apply to sailings on the DFDS Dover-Dunkerque route
DFDS operates three ropax ferries between Dover and Calais (and 3 on Dunkerque):
- COTE DES FLANDRES
- COTE DES DUNES
- CALAIS SEAWAYS (to be replaced by newbuilding COTE D’OPALE).
P&O Ferries operates five ropax ferries on Dover – Calais:
- SPIRIT OF BRITAIN
- SPIRIT OF FRANCE
- PRIDE OF CANTERBURY
- PRIDE OF KENT
- PRIDE OF BURGUNDY
The agreement is expected to start during the summer.
The Port of Dover has welcomed the announcement “as a powerful statement of returning focus to driving the unrivalled benefits of the Dover-Calais crossing: to preserve and maximise the unique advantages of high pace, frequency and capacity provided to supply chains on the shortest sea crossing between the UK and its principal global trading partner – the EU.” [Statement Port of Dover]
