LOW-COST ferry operator Speedferries will turn down
membership of the Passenger Shipping Association as part of a dispute with
rival operators over a “dirty tricks war”.
The Dover-Boulogne fast-ferry service, which launched
in May, said it wants to stay away from competitors, who it claims are waging a
co-ordinated campaign to drive it out of business.
Chief executive officer Curt Stavis told Travel
Weekly: “Being involved and in contact with
competitors who are taking co-ordinated action against
us is not a place where we would like
to be. The PSA needs to deal with its dirty laundry
and undertake an internal audit about the ethics of its members.”
Speedferries’ claims include price-fixing and
obstruction to port operations and the operator has instructed lawyers to file
a complaint with the Office of Fair Trading and the European
Commission.
“Our customers are satisfied, but operations have
started to be affected. These dirty tricks are getting worse every day, so we
had to respond,” he added.
Rival operators have strongly dismissed the
allegations, while the PSA claims Speedferries hasn’t even applied to join the
organisation and has turned down talks on two occasions.
Director Bill Gibbons said: “It’s a great pity
Speedferries has taken the ‘going-it-alone’ approach. We’d much rather meet to
discuss these allegations. If it chooses not to come into the industry body,
then we clearly can’t help it, or give advice.”
At the time of going to press, the Office of Fair
Trading said it had not received any complaints from Speedferries.
The European Commission confirmed an investigation
into price-fixing launched last September was still ongoing. It included raids
on the offices of P&O Ferries, Stena Line and Eurotunnel, (Travel Weekly
September 8 2003).
P&O Ferries, Eurotunnel, Seafrance and Hoverspeed
have all refuted the allegations.