United Kingdom’s CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) is investigating whether a capacity sharing agreement between P&O Ferries and DFDS, on the Dover-Calais route has potential to prevent, restrict or distort competition within the UK.
The investigation has been launched on 11 November 2021.
The P&O and DFDS freight space agreement commenced on 7 November. Drivers are allowed to embark on the next available ferry, either from DFDS or P&O.
If going with DFDS or P&O, truck drivers have a ferry every 37 minutes.
Competitor Irish Ferries will have a departure every 2 ½ hours, once the second ship enters the route. [FSN Week 45]
Another competitor is GetLink, the ‘tunnel’.
Back in 2013, the UK Competition Commission ruled that Eurotunnel, which leased the three MyFerryLink vessels to the SCOP, could no longer operate ferry services from Dover.
Reason: the proportion of the cross-Channel market that Eurotunnel held as a result.
In 2015 Eurotunnel sold ropax ferries RODIN and BERLIOZ to DFDS.
