UPDATED: Hovertravel services between Ryde and Southsea have been suspended this morning (Tuesday) due to a technical problem with the one remaining craft on the route.
The cross-Solent operator suspended their services at 09:30 and say that the service will remain suspended until at least 14:00.
Engineers are working at the rear of ‘Island Express’, which is the only craft currently on the route after ‘Freedom 90’ was taken to Southampton for repairs at the tail end of last month. The second craft is anticipated to return to service next week, although a date is yet to be confirmed.
UPDATE @ 14:35 – Hovertravel’s service remains suspended this afternoon with the next update due at 15:30.
Neil Chapman, managing director at Hovertravel, explains:
“With regard to today’s service cancellation we have put several measures in place to help our customers. We are transferring passengers to the Wightlink catamaran service at our cost, with Hovertravel staff at the Ryde Pier entrance and Pier head to offer assistance and facilitate Hovertravel passengers. There will be a Hoverbus concierge travelling on the Hoverbus for the duration of our cancellation to assist our customers”.
For more details of the measures Hovertravel has in place for customers travelling today visit www.hovertravel.co.uk.
Neil adds:
“Hovertravel has taken the radically innovative decision to announce an unique form of compensation for its customers. For every day Hovertravel has operated its revised one craft timetable, it will be offering free travel in compensation.
“As soon as Island Express was taken out of service this morning we convened an emergency customer service meeting. Although plans to compensate our customers were being considered, today’s service suspension was the trigger for us to apologise with an enhanced compensation offer.
“Hovertravel is a customer focussed business and we care deeply about the inconvenience we may have caused our passengers. We did not want to simply wait for our customers to complain but instead we wanted to be proactive with an offer of free travel”.
Hovertravel will be publishing details of how to claim your free travel on Friday at 09:00 on its website.
UPDATE @ 15:30 – Hovertravel services are to remain suspended until at least 20:00 tonight, Hovertravel have confirmed.
UPDATE @ 21:45 – It has been confirmed that services will resume from 06:15 tomorrow (Wednesday) with a one-craft service, as experienced since 29th June.
