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P&O Ferries launches bid to lead the ro-ro market on the Short Straits
Competition is heating up for market leadership on the lucrative UK-EU trade route of the Short Straits, with P&O Ferries announcing last week (28 April 2021) that it would reinstate a fifth roll-on/roll-off ship on its Dover-Calais route.
Pride of Burgundy – a 28,000 ton vessel with capacity to carry 120 lorries – will return to the vital arterial route in June, restoring the P&O Dover-Calais fleet to its pre-pandemic strength of five and offering more options for customers looking to transport goods between Britain and the EU. The ship will sail in freight-only mode.
In 2019, P&O Ferries’ share of ferry freight volumes on the Dover Strait was more than 50 per cent. P&O Ferries has since become part of global logistics giant DP World, which reported 11% growth in revenue in 2020.
David Stretch, Chief Executive of P&O Ferries, said: “I am delighted to welcome a fifth ship back to our Dover-Calais fleet which will increase flexibility for customers and enable us to deliver a cost-effective freight service on the English Channel as the economy returns to normal. Dover-Calais is a vital trade route both for the UK and EU economies as well as the thousands of businesses which rely on our services and we aim to return our market share back to where it belongs.”
Zoe McLernon, Multimodal Policy Manager, Logistics UK, said: “At just 21 short miles, the Short Straits represents the shortest distance between the UK and the EU Continent, and it is estimated that 60% of goods traded between Great Britain and the Continent pass through the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel. As the UK economy returns to pre-pandemic levels, it is encouraging to see ro-ro services increase on this vital route, which bodes well for the future health of UK-EU trade flows.”
*www.logistics.org.uk/water
Published On: 06/05/2021 17:00:32
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