Estonia, Financial Services, Tourism, Transport

According to state-owned port company AS Tallinna Sadam (Port of Tallinn), the cost of hiring Mercandia VIII from Danish company HH Ferries AB, or Scandlines, is confidentail. "I can only share information about the agreement signed with the Road Administration. The total expenses of Regula and Mercandia VIII for summer 2018 for the Road Administration, that is the state, is 1.7 million euros altogether, from which the ticket revenue received from the ticket sales of the journeys of TS Laevad's ferry Regula will be deducted," Jaak Kaabel, CEO of TS Laevad, told BNS.

TS Laevad will hire the ferry Mercandia VIII from HH Ferries AB during the summer period from June 4 to August 30 so that it is available as a backup vessel during the period that Regula is carrying out ordered additional trips on the Virtsu-Kuivastu route.

The state has ordered from TS Laevad altogether 536 additional trips on the Virtsu-Kuivastu route for the summer period between June 14 and August 26. The trips will be carried out by Regula. "The period is longer by the amount that it be possible to man and supply the vessel as well as bring it and take it back," Kaabel said.

"Even though two big and capable vessels will be operating on a tight schedule on the Virtsu-Kuivastu route during the summer, life has shown that during the more popular hours and days there will be more vehicles waiting to cross the strait than we are able to carry with two vessels. We believe that the operation of the ferry Regula will help to significantly reduce waiting lines in the summer and ensure smooth and convenient ship services for Muhumaa and Saaremaa residents and their guests," Kaabel said at the beginning of May.

TS Laevad at present owns the ferries Piret and Toll on the Virtsu-Kuivastu route, ferries Leiger and Tiiu on the Rohukula-Heltermaa route and the ferry Regula as a fifth and reserve vessel.