Fast-ferry operator SpeedFerries announce ticket price hike

Fast-ferry operator SpeedFerries has today announced a substantial rise in the cost of its Channel crossings due to soaring fuel prices and the fears are also growing that other ferries could also up their prices or even close down following the big rise in the cost of crude oil.

Starting this month all customers that are using the Speedferries from Dover to Boulogne can expect a hike in the rate on all ticket types.

In a letter to its customers is said that "The world has experienced yet another dramatic rise in the cost of fuel. The environmentally-friendly diesel used by us has been affected the most and we are now looking at a scenario whereby the price is more than twice that of last year. Although for some time SpeedFerries absorbed this increased cost, there is really no alternative but to pass on a proportion of this price to our customers."

But a spokesman from ferry operator P&O Ferries has said that the rising cost of oil would not affect its prices. He said that "Our business model is completely different to that of SpeedFerries. They are like the Easyjet of the sea - a low-cost operator which opts for speed. Because of how fast it travels, their ferry burns considerable amounts of fuel. SpeedFerries is very vulnerable to oil costs. Our biggest concern is how big we build our ferries. We have restaurants, shops and a club-class lounge for our customers to use if they wish - our ferries are very different to SpeedFerries."