Ferry operator MyFerryLink is confident the Competition Commission will come to a positive outcome over its future next month.
Speaking at an event in London, Robin Wilkins, managing director of MyFerryLink said the company hopes for a positive decision from the CC around 9 June that will allow the company to continue operating on the Dover-Calais route and start to update its two superferries.
“Both ourselves and the management in France has entered their submissions to the commission and we have received positive feedback which will hopefully resolve into a positive solution,” said Wilkins. “The Competition Commission’s concern was that, principally in freight, there may be conditional arrangements made between the businesses [MyFerryLink and Eurotunnel] but there is no joint activity and nor will there be.”
The MyFerryLink operation was first investigated by authorities in France after Eurotunnel bought three of the ships previously owned by SeaFrance. Concerns were raised over Eurotunnel’s market share of cross-channel services with the ownership of the ships, although they are operated by an employee shareholder group SCOP under MyFerryLink.
But despite the ships being held under Eurotunnel’s GET group, Wilkins said the two remain separate entities with no commercial ties and see each other as competitors.
“Our task is to build a brand that is an alternative and based around a quality service and decent price point,” he explained. “Our market share of the car cross-channel market has reached 5.6% and we hope to move around 11-12% when we are at full volume.”
Wilkins believes MyFerryLink, which started services in August 2012, will thrive off its employees’ shareholder investment within the company.
“There has been a revolution in the style of the company and the contract between SCOP and ourselves is long-term and started well,” said Wilkins. “Our staff now features heavily in our marketing campaign and there is a new social relationship on board, plus as shareholders that receive profits they have a vested interest. The SeaFrance employees were shocked when it was liquidated and they realised it had come into a new era. We have not had any strikes since we launched in August where our competitors have, which shows something.”
When, or perhaps if, the commission gives the full green light to the MyFerryLink operations, the company has “ambitious” plans to upgrade its passenger fleet. The ships went through a re-fit when they first joined the fleet but will be given fresh interiors and revamped restaurants and children facilities up to the end of the year.