At midnight on Saturday, Sandefjord harbour's permit to handle vessels in international traffic was withdrawn, reports Norwegian Børsen. This meant that the Color Hybrid ferry, which runs between Sandefjord and Strömstad, instead departed from Larvik on Saturday morning.
The withdrawn permit means that two departures to Strömstad have been cancelled. The ferry departing from Strömstad has been delayed and will depart at 15:00. It will arrive in Larvik instead of Sandefjord.
4,000 people are expected to be affected by the changes on Saturday alone, according to Color Line's Vice President for Communication and Community Relations, Erik Brynhildsbakken.
The reason for the withdrawn permit is that Sandefjord harbour does not meet the requirements to secure harbour facilities and vessels. Instead, nearby harbours must step in until a new permit has been issued.
