Funding to safeguard ferry routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland during COVID-19 outbreak.
- Scheme to help ferry operators on five routes between Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland (NI)
- UK, Ireland and France pledge to protect freight during pandemic
- UK government continues to work closely with NI Executive and aviation industry to agree funding to protect air passenger services between NI and GB
Vital ferry routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland have been safeguarded, thanks to a multi-million-pound government scheme to help ensure critical freight can continue to move into and across the union.
The package, worth up to £17m, is being funded by the UK government and the Northern Ireland Executive and will be made available to operators so that they can continue running freight services on five sea routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The freight and passenger support package covers:
- 7 routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- routes to the Isle of Wight
- the Penzance-Scilly ferry
- 26 routes between Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden, including Eurotunnel
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced that further funding, “worth tens of millions of pounds,” will also be made available to support more routes across the UK, subject to discussions with operators.
Shapps said: “Essential supplies are continuing to flow well, but operators are facing challenges as fewer people travelling means less capacity to move goods.
“Today’s action will help ensure we have the freight capacity we need across the UK. This funding will help ferry operators protect our supply chain and maintain the flow of critical goods across the Irish Sea and throughout the union.”
The British Ports Association (BPA) said that the package was “broadly speaking, good news and will help keep freight moving,” but added that it did not help ports which “have been walloped as their incomes have tumbled“.
The BPA added: “Critical services have been hit by the drop in passenger and non essential freight numbers because of the lockdown. While we welcome that this support will help keep routes viable, it will not help most ports who have significant fixed costs and have been walloped as their incomes have tumbled.
“Ports invest hundreds of millions of pounds every year in infrastructure, ensuring ships can move safely and go and that food, medicine and cargo continues to flow. These costs do not disappear when incomes drop away.
“It is critical that the Government now turns its attention to the wider maritime and logistics sector to ensure it is able to recover and continue supporting the UK economy.”
Reacting to the announcement, UK Chamber of Shipping Chief Executive Bob Sanguinetti said: “The UK’s vital supply lines, serviced by the ferry operators have been under immense pressure over the past few weeks.
“We have been working closely with the Department for Transport and we welcome government support on these key ferry routes to ensure essential goods, food and medical supplies keep flowing into the country.
“We will study the detail of any package closely, to ensure it provides sufficient capacity and resilience over the coming days and weeks.”
The British International Freight Association (BIFA) gave a cautious welcome to the support measures.
Robert Keen, director general of the trade association that represents UK freight forwarding companies, said: “We welcome the government support on these key ferry routes to ensure essential goods, food and medical supplies keep flowing into the country.
“Given the critical importance of ferry services to the European trailer services operated by freight forwarders that belong to the association, we hope the package of undefined measures on 26 routes between Britain, France, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden, including Eurotunnel, is enough to ensure the cross channel freight sector is able to provide sufficient capacity and resilience over the coming days and weeks.
“It is also good to hear the government acknowledging that the ferry operators are facing challenges. Hopefully it shows that the government is listening to those on the front line of international supply chains.”
The UK, French and Irish governments pledged to work together on temporary measures to ensure COVID-19 does not threaten vital freight routes between the countries.
Shapps, the Irish Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross, and French Minister of Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, said that the nations are united by trade which has thrived through the most difficult of times, and that they will continue to engage closely to help keep freight moving between the nations.
In addition to the funding announced today, the Department for Transport is working closely with the wider transport sector and devolved administrations to monitor the situation on air routes which are vital in helping maintain transport links across the union.
The Secretary of State also confirmed that the department has been working with Northern Ireland Executive to develop a support package which will ensure passenger flights from Belfast and Derry-Londonderry, to Great Britain are maintained during this COVID-19 response period. This will ensure to routes which are vital for those who need to travel remain open.
The department is in discussions with the relevant airlines, airports and the Northern Ireland Executive to finalise this package guaranteeing lifeline air passenger services.
Vital routes for supplies and people kept open through coronavirus support package.
