Sally decision
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will 'sink firms' Worn-out tyre disposal
could cost £7.50 each
by David Craik • Dozens of Kent hauliers fear their businesses will be put at risk following ferry operator Sally UK's decision to cease all of its passenger and freight services from Ramsgate Port from 20 November.
Sally UK's owner, Neptun Maritime, blames the move on fierce competition from the Channel Tunnel. It plans to "concentrate its resources on its Baltic business of ferries".
Port Ramsgate will remain fully serviceable and Sally Line says "discussions with investors interested in buying the ferry services are continuing".
The closure follows P&O Stena's decision to begin discussions over the future of its Newhaven-Dieppe route, also in the face of competition from the Channel Tunnel (CM 5-11 Nov).
Three Sally ships sailed between Ramsgate and Ostend; this year they were expected to handle around 125,000 accompanied and unaccompanied units.
Daniel Murat, consultant with Ramsgate-based freight forwarders llSci Logistics, says the
loss of the services has left his company's future, and that of up to 20 UK subcontractors working for it, "in the balance".
"We were told on Thursday last week that Sally was pulling out," he says. "That means we have been given two weeks' notice. We have been left high and dry."
Murat's company, which has a warehouse in Ostend and distributes goods from Italy and France, has to find a new port quickly. "Can we do it?" he wonders.
Brenda Taylor of Kent-based John Taylor Transport is one of D&J's main subcontractors. She says 60% of her company's work comes through Ramsgate, and warns that a move to Dartford or Dover will be a hard financial blow to her company and dozens like it.
"Along with rates which will not increase this year and fuel costs, having to change our work loads is the last thing we all need," she says.
• Treasury ministers are considering.' whetter to phase out duty and tax-free sales over three years instead of abolishing the whole system next lone. This 4 follows approaches by the governments of France. Germany and Italy to the European Commission asking it to con sider a gradual wind-down. 11111 A series of 24-hour strikes by Le Shuttle train drivers old be on the way, warns the trade union ASLEF. kesman John Richards says resifts of a strike ballot on 5 November will be known on 13 November.
"Le Shuttle drivers are the only drivers in the UK basic wage rate is less than E20.000." he says. "We are ing a 10% wage rise."
Last week hundreds of UK haukers were once more affected by a strike of SeaFrance seamen which spread to Calais dockworkers and closed the port. Long delays built up as ferries were diverted and trucks were held on the M26 in Kent.
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