The Department for Transport has confirmed it will not consider nationalising ferry services or introducing service guarantees for the Isle of Wight, despite repeated and desperate calls from residents and MPs.
In a formal response to Islanders who had written to the Secretary of State in light of a recent ministerial visit, the Government made clear that nationalisation and Public Service Obligations (PSOs) are off the table.
PSOs are used elsewhere in the UK to ensure minimum service levels on essential transport routes, but the Department stated that “any Government intervention into the Isle of Wight ferry market, including nationalisation or the introduction of Public Service Obligations, will not be considered.”
It also clarified that “commercial decisions on company ownership and pricing remain a matter for the companies concerned and the Department is unable to comment or intervene.”
The letter follows a roundtable meeting in Cowes, attended by Transport Minister Mike Kane MP, both Island MPs, ferry operators, council representatives, and local stakeholders.
East Wight MP Joe Robertson, who took part in the meeting, has strongly criticised the current ferry model and welcomed the Department’s willingness to look deeper into key issues. He has said:
“In the Ministerial Roundtable last week, the Minister agreed that the Department for Transport would go away and look at evidence on pricing, timetabling, reliability/punctuality, and socio-economic impact on the Island.
“There was further agreement that a local board, chaired by a DfT representative, with 2 MPs, the Council Leader, 3 ferry companies and other local stakeholders, would look at these issues to see how much agreement can be reached locally before the Minister returns.
Article continues below this advertisement “It is my position that the unregulated, private equity model is broken. It is the cause of spiralling prices and dwindling timetables, which is adversely impacting the socio-economic wellbeing of the Island.
“The Government is already intervening through the DfT. The ferry companies now need to act – something they have failed to do over the last 20 years. If they do not, I am confident that the Government is prepared to force their hand.
“I will not go into any talks or attend any meetings on the basis any particular issue is off the table. I am here to represent East Wight residents and for us, everything is up for discussion.”
Despite the Government’s firm stance on structural change, officials have committed to establishing a new Transport Infrastructure Forum and to continued engagement with ferry operators on issues of performance and reliability.
Its sad to see a government show so little respect and regard for the Island and its unique problems. Its not enough it would seem that they want us to be governed by a mainland mayor, they just treat our plight with little regard and offer no support to us.
They’ll happily tax us of course, but what do we get for that tax? Very little it would appear.
Since we are denied affordable use of the mainland and its roads with our vehicles perhaps we should all stop paying the vehicle excise duty? After all, why should we pay for something the government seems to think we don’t need or deserve affordable access to?
My guess is that many of the MPs in Parliament
have not even heard of the Isle of Wight.
As predicted nothing will change. Dead Funnel and Shite Link will just carry on ripping off the islanders and rake in huge amounts of money to pay shareholders and debts, putting nothing into decent ferries or upgrading anything. As for reducing prices, not a bloody chance now. Thanks quigley for being even more useless than seely was. Never mind things will be different in September will be different when they have to declare there finances again and go bust, then what??? Red funnels assets and income are not enough to cover the debt they owe, so are technically insolvent now.
One way to best the system is travel less, in the long
run these Companies will suffer.
Greed never pays!
They owe less than £300k. How much do you think one boat is worth?
Ooo…bit of a misleading inflammatory headline. Even JR has just said..
‘“The Government is already intervening through the DfT. The ferry companies now need to act – something they have failed to do over the last 20 years. If they do not, I am confident that the Government is prepared to force their hand.’
It also says,
Despite the Government’s firm stance on structural change, officials have committed to establishing a new Transport Infrastructure Forum and to continued engagement with ferry operators on issues of performance and reliability.
What it doesn’t say is that should the current companies fail the government could step in.
We should still be watching this space.
The least they can do is make sure that anyone
who needs to stay in a mainland hospital due to
the island having an inferior hospital
“Patients and family receive ‘FREE’ travel during their
hospital stay”
It is not patients thought that the NHS do not provide all
the services one requires on the island.
We all pay into the system like persons on the
mainland do!!
The Government never has wanted to spend any money on the island, but they are quick enough to use the place as a dumping ground for all it’s dross, and even demand we build new houses for it all
Everyone deserves a roof over their head,
which ever race they are.
The island needs more diversity.
I wonder how the fares and the ferry compare to the Scottish Islands
Not to mention the channel Islands
So there we have it, “The Department is unable to comment or intervene.” That is a blatant lie! It is perfectly able to ‘comment or intervene’ but has simply chosen not to. As Patriotic Islander says, they will keep taking our money to subsidise transport links in other areas of the country, but they genuinely don’t give a flying duck about the IOW.
Whatever did you all expect from a Labour government, actual action??? They are no better than the Tories or any of them. I bet that the three handed watch has come in to play. You know the ones, A big hand and a little hand and a back hand. You should have learned by now to NEVER trust a politician.