News in English

Interferry sets out guidelines for COVID-19 restart of passenger services

After collecting a large number of suggestions on how to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in relation to ferry operations, a task force of Interferry members has identified the key measures necessary to support the safe, gradual start-up of suspended passenger services during the pandemic.

The guidelines are available here in PDF format.
Designed to ensure social distancing and enhance sanitisation, the guidelines cover shoreside and shipboard measures to protect passengers, staff and crew ranging from booking, check-in and boarding procedures to onboard limitations in passenger numbers and facilities.
Due to the large diversity in ferry operations, both onboard and ashore, we have focused on high-priority issues as visualised in the flowchart (pg. 2 in the guidelines PDF), but also encourage each operator to develop solutions that are bespoke to their own businesses.
Interferry supports the widespread implementation of measures but does not advocate any new regulations. Our aim is to work closely with operators, port authorities, flag administrations and other stakeholders to encourage confidence that passenger ferry travel can resume as soon as possible.
The measures have already been shared in draft format with several national administrations and also discussed in a conference call with the European Commission. The call on May 4 took place between Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean, members of her cabinet and five Interferry representatives – CEO’s Götz Becker of Germany-based FRS, Niclas Mårtensson of Stena Line, Christophe Mathieu of Brittany Ferries and Spiros Paschalis of Greece’s Attica Group, together with myself. The Commissioner expressed high appreciation of the extensive input and confirmed that it would be considered in her preparations for an announcement due on May 13 regarding recommendations for relaunching transport links.
It is likely that certification of enhanced measures to mitigate communicable diseases will be introduced on a voluntary and subsequently mandatory basis. We are heavily involved to ensure that any suggested or imposed measures are relevant, reasonable and do in fact support a restart of suspended services.
Johan Roos – Director of Regulatory Affairs, Interferry