A Hoverspeed seacat carrying 149 passengers has reached Calais, after a power failure left the vessel stranded outside the French port for an hour. The Seacat Great Britain, which was also carrying 66 cars and a crew of about 20, left Dover around noon, but broke down about a mile from France just after one. An investigation into the cause of the power failure is now underway. 
 

Geruchten als zou de vrachtrederij Transeuropa Shipping Lines binnenkort ook passagiers verschepen tussen Oostende en Ramsgate worden nu voorbarig genoemd.  De rederij zelf wil geen commentaar kwijt, maar in Engeland is door de districtsraad van Thanet bevestigd dat de onderhandelingen nog geen resultaat hebben opgeleverd.  Ramsgate is vragende partij maar heeft vrij hoge haventarieven, wat niet naar de zin is van de gegadigden voor het uitbaten van een passagiersdienst. 

OSTEND-RAMSGATE PASSENGER FERRY DEAL IS DENIED

Claims that Thanet Council has signed a deal with a freight company to run passenger ferry services between Ramsgate and Ostend have been denied. Transeuropa Shipping Lines was reported to be close to finalising a deal to use its ships for cars and passengers.  But a company spokesman said: "We have no comment to make about the passenger service." The council has repeatedly stated that although the port is ready and prepared to resume passenger services, no announcement would be made until any deal is signed, sealed and delivered.  Cllr Nicholson said on Tuesday morning: "Negotiations with Transeuropa and other possible operators are continuing. No agreement has been signed." The council would welcome a passenger service to compliment the very successful freight operation that runs from the port. "Transeuropa has expressed an interest in running a passenger ferry service on several occasions but so far no deal has been done," he said.
 

Superfast Ferries, dat de nieuwe verbinding onderhoudt tussen Zeebrugge en het Schotse Rosyth, gaat mogelijk haar lijnen over de Noordzee uitbreiden.  De rederij onderhandelt momenteel over de mogelijkheid om een verbinding tot stand te brengen tussen het Nederlandse IJmuiden en het Oost-Engelse Great-Yarmouth.  Ook een lijn Zeebrugge-Great-Yarmouth wordt op termijn niet uitgesloten. 
 

CHAIRMAN'S OPENING REMARKS TO THE AGM  At P&O's Annual General Meeting in London today, the Chairman, Lord Sterling, reported on the company's recent progress and prospects for the current year.Lord Sterling confirmed that the company was seeing a further improvement in the trading environment since the start of the year. He also summarised the progressmade in achieving the Group's strategic objectives.Concluding, Lord Sterling said: 'Our results for the first half of 2002 willinevitably be affected by the weaker trading environment at the turn of theyear. However, the continuing improvement in the global economy and the benefitof the strategic steps we have taken will start to become apparent later thisyear. By 2003 we expect to see a further uplift. Across the Group, everyone is fully committed to further performance improvements and to achieving our other strategic objectives.

When we reported the Group's Preliminary Results on 7 March we were cautious about the outlook for 2002. A particular concern was the extent to which theglobal economy might accelerate later this year. I am pleased to say that current trading supports our earlier view that a recovery appears to beunderway.Container volumes handled through our ports have increased steadily. In thefirst quarter, organic growth year on year was already a respectable 9%. InApril this increased further. Argentina is still a major concern but we seeoverall volume growth continuing to increase, particularly in Asia.This trend is reflected in the increase in volume being seen by P&O Nedlloyd ofaround 10% year on year. There are also signs that the reduction in revenuerates has bottomed out although significant new capacity is continuing to enterthe market.Cold Logistics trading in the US is satisfactory while our business in Australasia continues to perform strongly. In P&O Trans European, Germany remains somewhat weak but this is largely offset by strengths elsewhere.The summer peak season for Ferries is still ahead of us although booking levelsare up on last year when we were faced with the consequences of the foot and mouth outbreak. Finally, our Property business is making good progress.At the time of our Preliminary Results, we also set out our strategic objectives. Although we have yet to achieve our main objective of diluting our container shipping interests, we have made considerable progress elsewhere. Lastmonth we announced our intention to purchase the remainder of P&O Stena Line.Not only is this a strongly performing business in a high growth market but the consolidation will also enable us to achieve major improvements in the way we run the whole of our ferry division. At the same time we announced that we intended, subject to consultation, to close some unprofitable routes.Earlier this week we announced that we were considering the possible sale of Contract Logistics. This is in line with our commitment to increase focus on our fastest growing businesses where we have a clear competitive advantage. Finally,we announced yesterday that we had further diluted our investment in AssociatedBulk Carriers, a business that we are committed to exiting.Our results for the first half of 2002 will inevitably be affected by the weakertrading environment at the turn of the year. However, the continuing improvement in the global economy and the benefit of the strategic steps we have taken willstart to become apparent later this year. By 2003 we expect to see a furtheruplift. Across the Group, everyone is fully committed to further performance improvements and to achieving our other strategic objectives. 
 

De "Glasgow Herald" heeft z'n twijfels over de leefbaarheid van de Schotlandferry die vanaf vrijdag 17 mei gaat varen tussen Zeebrugge en de haven van Rosyth.  De Superfast IX en X gaan vanaf dan de dagelijkse verbinding verzekeren tussen beide havens.  Meteen de eerste keer dat vanuit West-Europa rechtstreeks op Schotland wordt gevaren.  Superfast, een afdeling van het Griekse Attica Ferries, stelt dat het inmiddels al zo'n 50.000 voorafboekingen heeft genoteerd.  Maar, zegt de krant, het gaat hier hoofdzakelijk toeristentrafiek en het zijn de vrachtinkomsten die de lijndienst uiteindelijk het hele jaar door zullen moeten draaiend houden.  Ook de Freight Transport Association Scotland stelt dat haar 1500 leden nogal "agnostisch" staan tegenover de lijndienst op Zeebrugge, zeker wat de begeleide vracht betreft.  "Slechts weinig vervoersmaatschappijen zullen opteren om hun chauffeurs 17,5 uur werkloos aan boord van een ferry te laten doorbrengen, tenzij de prijzen zéér competitief zouden zijn".  Omdat Schotland meer uitvoert dan invoert uit de Europese Unie heeft zich de voorbije jaren een transportdriehoek ontwikkeld die voortreffelijk blijkt te werken: de Schotse transporteur rijdt met een vracht naar Europa, pikt daar een vracht op voor Engeland (dat meer invoert) en laadt vervolgens in Engeland een vracht terug naar Schotland.  De kleinere Schotse Road Haulage Association is echter van oordeel dat vervoersbedrijven zullen gebruik maken van de verbinding tussen Zeebrugge en Rosyth, als het hen uitkomt.  Ook is er toch wel hoop voor het verschepen van hoeveelheden onbegeleide vracht.   De eerste maanden zal voor de nieuwe lijndienst veel afhangen van het succes van de toeristentrafiek.  De overtochten zijn namelijk nogal prijzig.  Daarom is de veermaatschappij ook gestart met een 2,5 miljoen euro kostende publiciteitscampagne in Duitsland, Frankrijk en de Benelux.   Met succes worden ook de scholen bewerkt.  Heel wat klassen zullen de komende weken een kort vakantie doorbrengen in Schotland of in West-Europa door de komst van de nieuwe veerverbinding tussen Zeebrugge en Rosyth.   De Superfast IX en X die vanaf vrijdag worden ingezet op de route werden respectievelijk in januari en februari opgeleverd door de Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft (HDW), in het Duitse Kiel.  Beide schepen hebben ruimte voor 626 passagiers, 100 wagens en 110 grote vrachtwagens.  De veerboten hebben een kruissnelheid van liefst 30 knopen (48,3 km/u) (bij de meeste andere ferries ligt dit rond de 21 knopen).  (1 knot = 1 zeemijl = 1609m) De schepen beschikken over diverse bars, restaurants, een disco, casino, videospellenkamer, kaartkamer, rustige zithoeken, sauna, massage, winkels en boetieks, congreskamers, speelhoeken voor kinderen, satelliet-tv en internetverbinding. 

FEARS RAISED FOR ROSYTH-ZEEBRUGGE FERRY SERVICE

Fresch doubts have emerged over the viability of Scotland's first direct passenger ferry service to Europe which starts on May 17th. Superfast, the Greek-based operator of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge link, said it had already received nearly 50,000 advance bookings. However, these are mainly from car users, and questions have been asked over freight revenues which are vital to sustain a year-round daily service.  "There is very much an agnostic mood among our members," said Gavin Scott, policy manager of the 1500-strong Freight Transport Association in Scotland.  "The crossing takes 17-and-a-half hours and I doubt if there would be many people willing to tie up a driver for that period, unless the prices were very competitive indeed."  He said the imbalance, which saw more goods leave Scotland than come in, was already addressed by established routes where a driver would take a load to Europe and then bring one to England to pick up a third load for Scotland.  However, Phil Flanders, the regional director of the Road Haulage Association, which represents 1000 hauliers in Scotland, was more optimistic. "The early indications from our members is that they will use it when they can. The feedback I am getting is that the prices are as good as they could expect and Superfast are working on the trailer market."  Mr Flanders said it was important for Rosyth to survive the first two years when changes from the European working time directive and driver hours will take effect. A ferry journey would not be classed as working time, making Rosyth a more attractive option.  The first test will be the summer tourism market. Superfast has linked up with VisitScotland in a £1.5m advertising campaign in Germany, France and the Low Countries aimed at boosting inward traffic, which accounts for half of the bookings so far.  Coach firms running foreign tours and school trips have been among the keenest supporters, but according to the RAC, only one in 20 drivers in Scotland takes their car abroad every year, compared to one in 10 in the rest of Britain.  Some have complained about the cost of the new service and difficulties in booking.  Sue Nicholson, of the RAC Foundation, said: "We think the ferry is a superb idea and is going to have a significant impact. It is not cheap, but a large number of families would want to take it up."  Alf Baird, head of the transport research group at Napier University, Edinburgh, said all new ferry routes faced a tough initial two years. "The one thing about Superfast is that they will provide an extremely reliable service with very large modern ships. They know what they are doing." "People are queuing up to use it and I do not see it having any problems at all." Dr Baird said it would stimulate growth in trailer freight, particularly from supermarkets sourcing Scotland directly rather than through England.  The nearest rival, DFDS which runs a daily service from Newcastle to Amsterdam, shows the potential for expansion. It started in 1995 with just 69,000 passengers. Last year it carried 450,000. 

Return prices for two adults and two children plus car from central Scotland during school summer holiday:

Newcastle to Amsterdam (DFDS): £554 (if booked six weeks in advance). Plus £30 fuel. 

Dover to Calais (P&O Stena): £234. Plus £140 fuel.

Rosyth to Zeebrugge (Superfast): £627 on weekend sailing with outside berth cabins. Same deal in low season in dormitory bunks is £254. Plus £8 fuel.

In de 1 mei-stoet in Brugge stapte ondermeer een delegatie mee van werknemers van P&O. Bij de rederij en in de haven van Zeebrugge staan zoals bekend minstens honderd banen op de tocht. Tijdens de 1-meimanifestatie van de socialistische beweging in Antwerpen, hebben verder havenarbeiders uit Antwerpen en Zeebrugge actie gevoerd voor het behoud van de wet-Major. Die wet, genoemd naar de voormalige socialistische voorman Louis Major, zegt dat alleen erkende havenarbeiders in de haven kunnen werken. Europa en de werkgevers willen dit ,,monopolie'' echter wijzigen.