The Wightlink Users Group is inviting Islanders to an open meeting at The Depozitory in Ryde next week, which is part of their wider campaign for a regular, affordable and fairer ferry service which puts the needs of Isle of Wight families and the local economy first.
The group – which has a membership over 5,000 strong – has been extremely busy in 2023, holding meetings with stakeholders, researchers, local councils and our NHS to work towards improving access to the vital ferry services on which Islanders depend.
This latest meeting will be a chance to hear directly from committee members and with a particular focus on the experiences of islanders travelling across the Solent and the impact of expensive and unreliable connections on our access to critical health services and family support.
Attendees will hear from a variety of speakers including island businesses and local community leaders. The Wightlink Users Group is proud to be an independent community organisation with no political affiliations – everyone is welcome to join who shares concerns about the challenges of relying on Wightlink to access the mainland and vice-versa.
Chair of the group, Bronwyn Hamilton Brown, says:
“It’s really not fair that an increasing number of islanders are isolated from their families due to the huge price of the ferry tickets. Through our organisation we can give a voice to islanders who share our concerns, and we’ve also met with a range of really knowledgeable people to support taking the campaign further.
“It would be wonderful to see more local people get involved and attend our meeting.”
The Open Meeting will be held from 18:00 on Friday 29th September at The Depozitory, Nelson Street, Ryde.
Further information about the Wightlink Users Group is available at https://www.wug.org.uk/.
isolated from their families …give it dramatic rest bronwyn….less than 20 quid foot passenger day return is hardly a huge price.
if people are happy to spend way more money each week on booze, cigs, vapes and takeaways then they can buy a ferry ticket
stop pleading poverty, it isn’t working..wightlink have island based staff to pay and boats aren’t cheap to run
how about we demand cheaper service from you at your work
I’m all for charging peeps coming here on hols but NOT for islanders. It is one of the most expensive ferries in the world.
No need for personal attacks on the lady organising it. Maybe refrain until you are sober?
it’s not fair says bronwyn…..you sound like a child that has been told no sweets…waaahh not fair…
you know what bronwyn, stop whining
. . . said person employed by Wightlink.
Rubbish! Its the fat cat shareholders who push up ferry prices.
Families can’t afford to visit FACT.
If you look at the way Islanders are treated in Scotland they get assisted fares for residents. Can our useless MP get any help for us.? No.
We were obliged to travel to the mainland a few days ago. Ferry was packed to the gunnels shoulder to shoulder standing room only. It’s extortion and there is no choice.
We were moved here with my husbands employment now we are stuck. Too old to resettle anywhere else. 8 miles. Dearest stretch of water possibly in the world and least caring Council and Government.
I cannot believe how much Wightlink charge for such a short
Ferry crossing.
“It is criminal”
Whats the point Wightlink won’t listen to any complaints.!!!
I fail to see just what they hope to achieve, Wightlink are private company who are in business to make a profit. They call for more frequent services and lower fares but when they add in an extra sailing or two the uptake is so low as to not be economic to run the service.
Spot on Rob. As much as it pains me to say it I think the focus should be on the frequency and reliability of the service rather than the prices? Certain persons want a much better service AND want to pay less for it?
Since when has that been the cornerstone of any business??
Key word Business. Should be Government subsidised like Scotland not a private business
Oh for the old UK Sealink. Good service, working lifts (a rarity these days on Red Funnel).
Maggie Privatisation strikes again
How often are these islanders separated from their family. ? Buy ten vehicle passes £300 or £30 per crossing … if you are not crossing that many times then you are not close anyway ….. you can buy multi foot passage crossings at reduced cost too … how much do you think it costs to run a ferry company and employ a few hundred people and keep supplies running to an island
How come ferry companies around the world do it? We’ve the most expensive ferries in the world
The multilink passes are a lot of the time full up.But when you check normal availability at horrendously high prices there are plenty of places.Then you have to wait until the day before you travel and hey presto the multilink ticket can be used.A sure scam to try force you to pay full fare.
I remember when the ferries were reliable regular and almost reasonably priced
I agree the ferries were reliable ,regular,& reasonably priced ONCE many moons ago !!
You tell us how much. You seem well informed
Info I got from wightlink
In keeping with most forms of domestic transport, including the UK’s national rail network, Wightlink’s Day Return and Short Stay tickets are considerably discounted. Our Period Returns can be considered as our standard fares. This tactical pricing not only reflects the travel restrictions attached to day tickets compared to the flexibility offered by Period Returns, but is also designed to encourage day visits to the Island and boost the tourism economy. It also benefits Islanders popping over to the mainland for a few hours.
This continues from the previous one all on the same email
We do offer Multilink Vehicle passes, that can only be purchased by customers who own a home on the Isle of Wight. Our Multilink passes offer significant discounts on ferry travel. The level of discount received will depend on how regularly you travel however our smallest pass of 10 single journeys can be purchased for £330.00, the equivalent of £33.00 each way and is valid for a year from the date of purchase.
From
Our standard returns should be considered as the ‘standard’ price for ferry travel. We then offer day returns and short stays at a discount in comparison to these prices. If all journeys were charged at one ‘standard’ rate this would mean that Day Returns and Short Stays would cost more than they do currently. This would obviously discourage tourists from taking day trips to the Island, which would have a negative impact on the Island tourism economy and the Island in general and would also make day trips far more expensive for Island residents.
As mentioned in my previous email, many Islanders take advantage of our Multilink Vehicle passes which provide crossings from £26.00 – £33.00 per sailing for a car and up to 7 passengers.
The price of the ferry is not expensive. Some people on the island seem to be living in a bubble called the 1980s. Sadly, the cost of travel has increased a lot since then. Try paying for a train journey on the mainland – London to Leeds return is £140! Clearly, less than £20 to cross is not expensive. In fact, £20 buys you very little these days.
correct hammy – bronwyn and co, seem to think that they should be paying next to nothing for a trip.
a taxi to west cowes from ryde during the peak rush hours is over £50 one way
someone who commutes on the fastcat and buys an annual season ticket, pays about £4.50 each way, over the course of the year- how much cheaper do these clowns expect it to be
Can only squeeze a lemon so many times. At some point Wightlink will run out of lemon juice.
Might not be any time soon, but it will happen.
1 reason why half the island looks and is a complete mess is lack of tourism like it always had, due to people now not being able to afford the ferry on top of everything else. wightlink is absolutely horrendous on over charging but if either company was to reduce the sickening prices then il be surprised.
I’d also be surprised because they are a private company and they have a responsibility to shareholders to maximise profits. That’s just normal private company.
If we want better transport options, we need public transport.
Too bad Tories privatised everything but people voted for this.
Rip-off fares. Lack of competition allows Wightlink to fleece travellers who have little choice. Red Funnel is just as bad. We needed a road link decades ago.