Significant delays on Red Funnel’s East Cowes-Southampton vehicle ferry service today (Saturday) has been blamed on a multitude of problems, including a delay in emergency services responding to a medical emergency.
Throughout the day the cross-Solent operator has been battling delays – less than 24 hours after Friday’s gridlock. Now a shuttle service is in operation.
Traffic congestion is Southampton is said to have kick-started today’s problems, which were then made worse by a medical emergency on board 1 of the vehicle ferries. This was made worse by a lengthy wait for an ambulance to arrive – although it is unclear which side of the Solent the ambulance was due.
Fran Collins, Chief Executive of Red Funnel, has said in a statement:
“We apologise for the delay passengers are experiencing across our service today. This was caused by congestion in the approaches to Southampton this morning, followed by a medical emergency on board and subsequent delays in attendance from the emergency services. Our team provided assistance to a passenger until the emergency services arrived.
“We are aware that the delays are contributing to excess traffic and congestions in and around East Cowes and we are providing passengers with updates via text. We advise anyone travelling today to arrive no sooner than advised and to check the service status on the Red Funnel website where updated departure and arrival times are available https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/en/isle-of-wight-ferry/service-status/.
“We are working hard to clear traffic in the area by operating a shuttle service until further notice. We apologise that this incident follows a number of recent unconnected delays and disruptions, and we are sorry for the inconvenience caused.
“We will be undertaking an urgent review of our processes to manage unplanned delays. For information on compensation for passengers impacted by the delays, please visit https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/en/isle-of-wight-ferry/ferry-service-disruption/”.
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One excuse after another. Could it be that by reducing the number of boats in servie (and therefore the crews) they can make enough profit without actually running a scheduled service?
Mr Seely, kindly respond.
Mr Seely..?…ah yes our phantom MP
All the people who block any kind of progress on the island are getting their way. We’re back to the 70’s when it took all day to get on or off the island.
Yes Fred,that is the idea!!!! May I suggest that you move off the island if you don’t like living on an island? And take your mates with you!
And you old island farts still think a bridge isnt needed huh?
Your panacea bridge, sir, is now officially in the hands of a ‘fixed link committee’. The heads of this pseudo-legitimate, semi-transparent organisation are the directors and major shareholders in two local businesses. They are The Southampton, Isle of Wight, and South of England Royal Mail Steam Packet Company Limited (that’s Red Funnel Ferries in landlubbers lingo) and Wightlink. Good luck with your parade of prosperity, your link for livelihoods, your bridge of broken dreams….
No,it is not needed,most island youngster’s move off the island to pursue a career or university or just explore the world,and after about 10 years or so return to the island to bring up a family in a safe environment, unfortunately for certain young people,who ain’t got no bollox or brains like yourself, you expect the mainland to come to you because you are to scared to leave your little bubble!
Yes red funnel a fail to plan is a plan to fail and you certainly do on many occasions
Yet again, another clear example of the strangle- hold that the ferry companies have around this island’s delicate neck.
What with the floating bridge fiasco, the ever spiralling Wightlink never ending tissue of cock-ups and Red Funnel drowning East Cowes in traffic jams and traffic fumes, I wonder if island residents will eventually tumble to the undeniable fact that the island’s wellbeing and prosperity is in the hands of the Ferry Mafia?
Houses are sold before they are even advertised by estate agents. Expensive new builds are snapped up as soon as the first shovel hits the earth. Rentals are impossible to get.
Sounds like the people who actually want to live here aren’t too fussed about the ferry situation…
Does anyone really see any difference to the terrible service.
Until something is done like public ownership.
We are ripped off twice, Goverment (public) money used to keep them in buisiness during Covid & knowing we Islanders are prisioners by high ferry costs leaving especially us pensioners unable to afford to go to mainland as often as we would like to see relatives also aged family members can’t afford to visit us here.
Until something is done they have upper hand on us all.
Frustrating and avoidable situation come on Bob sort this out & support us Islanders as tou should do as our ‘elected ‘ MP.