Committee chair Stuart Clark said: “This is not a decision which we have come to lightly however, the investment of public funds in the current financial climate must be supported by both quantitative and qualitative factors to satisfy internal and external scrutiny.
“On this occasion, we are not satisfied that the tender criteria were met in order to provide us with the required assurances to warrant such an investment of public funds.”
The committee said while it wasn’t “the outcome the committee hoped for”, it included “reflection on the current connectivity provided by the independent operators who continue to service the route without a subsidy from the States”.
Clark said he was “confident that the range of providers competing in the market will ensure that connectivity between the islands continues”.
