DFDS has a 20-year-contract with the port, and has responded to the controversy surrounding the bidding process.
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01:30I don't know where it is, I'll get there in a second, just wait.
01:34No, that's it, can I go?
01:36I won't bother you, I'll just get it.
01:38I'll just get it.
01:40That's it.
01:44That's it, that's it.
01:46Yeah, that's it, that's it.
01:48Yeah, that's it.
01:50That's it.
01:52Thank you very much.
02:14We are super excited to be serving Jersey as the 20 year contract starts today.
02:21And the whole team has been working up to this for the last three months.
02:25It's been an intense project and we're so excited to be serving the Jersey Islands.
02:30And how much impact has this contract had on DFDS as a business?
02:33It must be a significant addition.
02:35It is a significant addition and it's not every day that you get to open up a brand new route.
02:40And the Jersey route is a freight route and passenger route.
02:44And it's been extremely intense over the last three months during the planning and execution of what we need to do.
02:49So why has DFDS taken on this route between Jersey and Port St. Paul?
02:54It's a natural fit to where we are.
02:56We've got a big service between Dover Calais and Dover Dunkirk.
03:00We also operate New Haven Dept for the French region.
03:03So it's a natural progression of the channel.
03:06We're very much, our foot is in the channel and this is a natural progression.
03:13Do you see the route being more popular with freight or passengers or will it be in between?
03:17It's predominantly a lifelong freight route but it's also important for tourists as well.
03:21We're extremely happy to be serving it and we want to be part of the solution for Jersey tourism.
03:29We work very closely with all the Jersey stakeholders to increase the tourists into the Channel Islands.
03:36But also into Saint Malo in France as well and into the UK.
03:40But also keep the freight flowing and keep the goods on the islands.
03:44Do you see the route being popular to tourists?
03:46Yes we do, absolutely.
03:48It's a duty free route between the UK and Jersey.
03:51I think day trip passengers and also short break passengers will have a fantastic time in Jersey.
03:56There have been a little bit of changes with the changing companies.
04:01Also some of the Sunday service has been cut for passengers.
04:04Why did the company make that decision?
04:06Because some of the passengers I've spoken to rely on the Sunday service.
04:10Out of Portsmouth there hasn't been a Sunday service.
04:14It's predominantly freight driven with the ROPAX vessels.
04:18Freight doesn't flow on a Sunday.
04:20So yes we'd very much like to do things out of pool on a Sunday.
04:24And we can do the day trips there.
04:26But for the freight that's during the week and it's predominantly a six day business.
04:30The company was put under a little bit of pressure.
04:33It wasn't smooth sailing to go all the way through with the contracts and so on.
04:36There have been accusations from the Jersey Minister of a smear campaign going on with a rival company.
04:42How did DFDS manage to deal with all of that and the noise going on during the bidding process?
04:48I think we just get our heads down and focus on what the prize is.
04:52And we leave the politics to the politicians.
04:55With all that politics in the background do you think DFDS will be able to win over some of the doubts?
05:02I think with anything we start a new service.
05:04DFDS has a huge maritime history.
05:06Over 157 years.
05:08We're not newcomers to it.
05:10And we're hoping that over the 20 years the hearts and minds will be with the Jersey people.
05:16And finally how much are you looking forward to serving the people of Portsmouth?
05:21Absolutely. It's part of the deal.
05:23I mean Jersey, Portsmouth.
05:24Portsmouth is a great place for the UK and you can explore with tourists and things.
05:29So we're very much looking forward to working with Portsmouth International Port.