This will be discussed on Thursday at a meeting of the Kent County Council Environment & Transport Cabinet Committee. The papers are too long to quote in full, but item 12 (and associated appendix) are the ones to look for:
https://democracy.kent.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=831&MId=9269&Ver=4
In general, the consultation was very much pro-retention (unsurprisingly), but it is also noted the primary usage appears to be from Thurrock, with a lower number of responses (it seems Kent provided the consultation for both sides). A number of school children use the ferry to access Gravesend schools (which are a short walk from the terminal), and some further still - one mentions Rochester, a whole other bus ride or two away! There seems to be a willingness to pay an increased fare if it would help (some 73% of users pay a fare), and many comments speak of the unviability of the alternative options - three buses, or a lengthy cycle and reliance on the Dartford Tunnel shuttle service. Even driving is looked on negatively, not least because the 35-ish% of users who could travel by car would add to the already extensive traffic instead.
JetStream have very much walked away, despite the apparent offer of a 1 year contract extension - having stopped funding in October 2023, Thurrock have secured funding for one year from April 2024. The papers also note they have only ever received two bids, one from Jetstream, but the other operator was unable to step up at such short notice. I am wondering why Jetstream declined the extension with a month to go over alleged "uncertainty for the future", rather than an accepting the year's extension and allowing that uncertainty to reduce in a more managed fashion.
The paper just asks the committee to note it, and unless I've missed anything on skim read, doesn't really suggest whether they will attempt a new tender or whether it will be allowed to quietly cease. I suspect they may still attempt procurement, much as they would a bus service, because it looks better to the public to have tendered and declare the bids too expensive than not to have tendered at all... but we'll find out on Thursday which way the wind is blowing!