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Truck and Track Winter 2018 68
PORTS
Award-winning ferry operator DFDS has announced
the appointment of leading ferry and cruise ship design
consultancy, SMC Design, to redevelop its catering outlets on
board its Eastern Channel routes.
The redesign will commence when the first Dover-Dunkirk vessel
enters dry-dock on 7 January 2019, with plans to complete the
entirety of the fleet in just five weeks. The £1,800,000 investment,
equating to £600K per ship, will see the relaxed food and beverage
outlet revitalized to create the Lighthouse Café, a fresh andmodern
European coffee shop experience.
Steve Newbery, On-Board Commercial Director, at DFDS
commented: “We’re delighted to be working with the prestigious
SMC Design consultancy, on a project designed to offer a new,
contemporary dining outlet for our passengers.
“The decision to revitalize the current catering concept onboardour
Eastern Channel routes follows passenger feedback, something we
pride ourselves in listening and responding to. In an effort to boost
passengers experience on-board, the Lighthouse Café will include
a revised menu, recycling stations and a re-vamped children’s play
area, all underpinned by a new and vibrant colour scheme.”
The projectwith SMCDesignwill continue over the next three-years
and will expand to include a £180,000 investment and upgrade to
the Horizon restaurants on-board the Dover-Calais fleet, with work
commencing early 2019.
This re-design contributes to DFDS’ ongoing investment in its fleet
which includes a chartered combined freight and passenger ferry
(ro-pax) to be delivered in 2021 for deployment on the English
Channel routes. This, in addition to the recent order of a freight ferry
(ro-ro) new build, in August, and five previously ordered freight
ferries, contributes to DFDS’ plans to increase operational efficiency
in the route networks in northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Formore information, or to book visit:
DFDS appoints SMC to revitalize dining
concepts on-board Eastern Channel fleet
Commenting on the Budget Statement the British Ports
Association’s Chief Executive, Richard Ballantyne said:
“There were a few announcements of interest in the Budget,
particularly in relation to infrastructure, regional growth, oil &
gas and decommissioning, exports, fisheries, fuel duty, housing
and skills, but probably of most interest are the statements on
road investment. In his statement the Chancellor committed
£28bn funding for roads between 2020-25. Transport investment
is important to ports, who rely particularly on roads to connect
them to their traders and markets as well as importing some of the
materials needed to build them. However it remains unclear if the
investment will directly benefit the links to ports themselves.”
With very fewexceptions the vastmajority of UK port infrastructure
investments are privately financed. Port investments are market-
led and at present the BPA estimates that somewhere in the region
of £1.7bn worth of port projects will be undertaken in the next
few years. In terms of infrastructure, ports ask for very little from
the Government, however they do rely on a stable economic and
policy framework, an efficient planning system and a modern
transport infrastructure. The latter area is subject to sometimes
competing demands, for example between passenger and freight-
based projects, and especially budget constraints. Mr Ballantyne
suggested:
“One of our key requests from Government is around increasing
public transport investment to help the UK ports and logistics
industries compete with international competitors and drive
regional economies. Most freight is transported on road and
investment in our strategic trunk road network and the links to
ports is a must. Earlier this year the Department for Transport
published a comprehensive Port Connectivity Study in England. It
will be important that this initiative is backed up with investment
and that ports feature when spending decisions aremade on future
rounds of the Road Investment Strategy.”
The BPAhas beenpressing for regional investment and is keen to see
port areas classified as port enterprise and development zones to
stimulate coastal growth. Mr Ballantyne also highlighted that the
BPA was keen that ports become more of a feature in investment
decisions as well as other progressive concepts:
“We have been pressing for increased business and planning
stimulus for areas around ports to encourage coastal businesses
and growth similar, in part, to some of the measures announced
for high streets and smaller businesses. The new City Deals
will certainly be welcomed by ports within those locations but
elsewhere there should also be mechanisms for Government to
allocate additional funding to regional transport schemes such as
through Local Enterprise Partnerships. Additionally, we welcome
the new resource for the National Roads Fund. This money will be
channelled through Local Authorities but we would like to see this
suitably targeted to improve regional networks that serve ports.
We are also keen to see increased water freight financial stimulus
to encourage more coastal shipping, which itself can contribute to
easing congestion and minimising the environmental impacts of
freight transport.”
Finally, on Brexit, Mr Ballantyne continued:
“We welcome the Chancellor’s announcement to allocate a
further £2bn on Brexit planning. However it remains unclear if
this will be used to ensure the adequate preparation of borders
staff and facilities that may be required for potential new frontier
requirements, either at or close to our ports. Finally, we note with
interest the rather ominous commitment to upgrade the Spring
Statement should a ‘no deal’ Brexit outcome materialise.”
British Ports Association responds to the Budget