Choice in the Channel
Page 27
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Tuesday 10 March! Just another date in the calendar for most people, but a day that will feature in the annals of the road transport industry as a black one.
The official start of jointventure operations by the merged P&O Stella Line might be great news for them as they seek to tighten their stranglehold on the cross-Channel market. But itS bad news for the haulier, who now faces the prospect of fewer ships, longer queues and less choice.
It is essential the freight customer has an alternative on the Dover-Calais route to the duopoly which will result from the P&O-Stena merger and Le Shuttle.
Competition gives the haulier a more flexible market and that is what Seafrance will continue to provide, despite the tremendous commercial pressure which is no doubt on the cards from our rivals.
Seafrance now operates four ships on 20 round trips between Dover and Calais per day and intends to retain this level of service in future.
With a million units in sight by the end of this year, the company now claims a 25% share of the routes freight market.
Adrian Richardson, Segfrauce.