Jersey ferry firm performance rated positive, minister says
Concerns had been raised over the cancellation of some sailings by DFDS including changes to the service to accommodate football fans travelling to the Muratti football match in Guernsey in May.Questions about the cancellation of two Portsmouth sailings for the match have been lodged in the States by Scrutiny Liaison Committee member Deputy Montfort Tadier.He asked how the decision was made, what compensation was given to any passengers and if reputational damage had been considered.Morel has until 23 June to respond.
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The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Comedian hits out at London's E-bike licensing creating ‘Checkpoint Charlies'
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BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Fast DFDS Poole-Jersey ferry paused during winter timetable
Ferry operator DFDS will temporary pause a high-speed service for Jersey during the company has released its winter sailings schedule, with 118 departures between Jersey and Portsmouth and 88 for the St Malo service up from 1 November to 10 the firm - which took over the island's main ferry services in March - said lower passenger numbers over winter had led to a decision to halt its fast Poole sailings between November and 30 route director Chris Parker said the company understood the decision would disappoint customers, but the winter schedule had been "designed to meet demand while delivering a dependable service". He added the timetable would offer capacity for up to 77,000 passengers between Jersey and the UK and 134,000 passengers for French sailings between November and March, which was "well above the historical demand" for Parker said: "We understand that this decision will impact islanders and disappoint some travellers, and we are sorry about the inconvenience this will cause."We are focusing on delivering a long-term sustainable service for Jersey, including investment in future tonnage for the island." DFDS said its Levante Jet boat, which normally covers the Poole route, would be used to cover St Malo crossings, while the Tarifa Jet goes into a dry dock in added the Levante Jet would then go to a dry dock until the summer when the Tarifa Jet returned, with the latter helping provide sailings to Poole during company said schedules from 11 January onwards were being finalised.A total of 110 freight service crossings have been scheduled up until 10 January as part of the winter timetable, DFDS added.
The Independent
14 hours ago
- The Independent
E-bike licensing means ‘every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie', comedian says
A 'Checkpoint Charlie' situation has been created near London bridges by councils making contrasting decisions on licensing electric bikes, a comedian said. Irish stand-up Dara O Briain complained that e-bikes are 'stacking up' at river crossings between the boroughs of Hounslow and Richmond in the west of the capital. Lime, one of the rental companies involved, urged councils to collaborate so riders can 'travel seamlessly across boroughs' rather than face a 'patchwork of boundaries'. Hounslow has given permission for Forest and Voi's e-bikes to be used in its area, while Richmond has licensed rival company Lime. The latter said it has agreed to a request by Hounslow for its bikes' electric motors to cut out if riders enter the borough. This causes the bikes to become heavy to ride, resulting in many users ending their trips. The PA news agency saw about 30 bikes near the southern entrance to Chiswick Bridge on Monday night. Some were parked appropriately to the side of pavements, but others had been thrown in bushes or tipped over. O Briain, 53, likened the issue to the Checkpoint Charlie border crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War. In a post on social media platform X, he wrote: 'Hounslow Council have banned Lime bikes, and licensed Forest and Voi; neighbouring Richmond has licensed Lime and banned the others. 'So every bridge is Checkpoint Charlie, with loads of Lime bikes parked on one side and loads of Forest and Voi on the other. Top work everyone!' Richard Dilks, chief executive of shared transport charity CoMoUK, said: 'This rather bizarre set of circumstances is an unfortunate outcome of the current situation in London, where regulation of bike sharing schemes is decided at borough level.' He said the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill going through Parliament could make Transport for London the capital's licensing authority for rental e-bikes, enabling a 'more coherent pan-London approach' to be designed. A spokesperson for Lime said the existing scenario is 'frustrating for riders'. She said: 'We've already been contacted by many of them who are disappointed at the new rules. 'They should not have to experience London as a patchwork of boundaries. 'We want to see councils work together so that residents can travel seamlessly across boroughs, without having to stop at borders.' Alex Berwin, head of policy at Forest, said the issue is 'exactly why we have been calling for a pan-London approach to regulation'. He went on: 'We need a single regulatory framework, one enforcement model and one operational rulebook across the capital, whilst ensuring services support the local needs of each borough.' A Voi spokesperson said its users are 'free to cycle across borough boundaries, but parking must be in designated bays within participating areas'. He added: 'We're working with local leaders and TfL towards a London-wide scheme to make cross-borough journeys simpler.' Hounslow Council and Richmond Council were approached for a comment. Rental e-bike companies say they encourage people to switch from cars to a more sustainable form of travel, but there have been long-standing concerns about users blocking pavements with the bikes after they finish their rides.
