Ferry fare fury
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Are you related to P&O Ferries (sorry, P&O/ Stenna Ferries)? Come on, CM, you must be—otherwise how come I got a letter from P&O telling me they had increased Dover/Calais freight rates by £1 per metre for all operators (.C30 a trip in my case)—while the same post had CM telling me that the Government had not bothered asking P&O Stenna to hold its freight rates.
Well, New Labour, you seem to know little about private enterprise. Without your attention to this "minor" detail, the cost of exports and imports through Dover will now increase by at least this margin. We hauliers will be passing on this unjustified price hike from our friends at P&O/Stenna to manufacturers and importers. Food will cost more—everything will cost more because no-one will absorb this steep increase. Has P&O made donations to New Labour? How else has it achieved this remarkable victory over the Government?
I am trying to refuse this increase, or switch to SeaFrance. We will try the Tunnel; we will go via Ramsgate. P&O didn't even let the ink dry on the agreement to merge before grasping for bigger profits.
I am writing to the Government and the Monopolies & Mergers Commission. I suggest everyone does the same.
David Holmes, Holmes of Heathrow PS I know you are not really related—your increases have always been fair and CM is outstanding value.
Compliments are always appreciated—Ed.