Island Echo always welcomes letters to the editor, which may of course not reflect the views of the publication and its staff.
Letter to the editor – 22nd February 2024
“So we start another day of delays and cancellations. There will be more individual posts of people unable to meet their commitments on both sides of the water. “Is it possible to get a collated list of all of the cancellations and delays on Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel so far this year? It would make dreadful reading and would illustrate clearly how daily life is being impacted by the shocking service we all receive. “There is no part of the UK that would accept and live with transport links as unreliable and expensive as this, for which there is little accountability and no apparent incentive to improve. “I really admire the work of the Wightlink Users Group, but there is a bigger picture here, involving all cross Solent links. “Our MP is obliged to turn this into a major issue. It would help greatly if MPs across the South, whose constituencies host businesses that trade with the island and must get affected by the cost and unreliability of ferries, could co-ordinate to bring pressure on the government to conduct an emergency review – at the very least. “Frustration and anger is burning and growing in every post and every comment. We all understand that the ownership model of the ferry companies is the root of the issue, but we can’t allow the current, unregulated situation to go unchallenged. “At the moment people can’t reliably commute, trade, travel or attend medical appointments, whilst the Island’s main economic sustenance, the tourism industry, is being drained by poor service and high fares. “For God’s sake, somebody in Government get this on the agenda and somebody in the mainstream media take this on as a major campaign. Or is it a case of ‘its only the Isle of Wight, so who cares’.”
Anonymous
Yet red funnel find it acceptable to put charges up. These two company’s are killing the island. The council should have never sold the ferry services. But this is an all too standardised practice in the uk now. So we sell are life lines to foreign companies to bleed us dry. It’s about time we as a country stood fast and make our own industries strong again!
The government privatised it. You can’t blame the Council for this! It used to belong to British Rail, looked shabby, but ran consistently.
I tried to commute from the Island to Southampton, but the reliability, and cost made it impossible, so living on the island I am forced to find jobs on the island – at lower rates and lower prospects.
If there was a bridge, or a tunnel, then I could earn more, but the Luddites here will refuse to allow that.
Where’s the money coming from and from who? ..would cost at least half a billion probably alot more and take 10 years of planning ..its just never ever going to happen.
it would be self financing, A bank of tide turbines right across to the island from somewhere like hurst point, Cover them all over with all the spoil from the stonehenge tunnel, bung a road on top. No problem
Should they subsidise their customers when fuel prices rise, commodities increase,wages rise? You’re quite obviously not born on the island because no-one that is wants a bridge. Move back home if you don’t like it.
A fixed link of any sort would still be owned and run with profit for the shareholders as the priority – and would be subject to closure at a moments notice because of weather, road accidents, staff shortages in the toll booths etc. Now, at least, we have cafes and toilets while we wait.
We need a Japanese system, partial refunds for lateness, along with a note.
And a little hara-Kiri wouldn’t go amiss for the bigger-wigs up the chain.
you already have it
But we don’t want a fixed link because the drug dealers and child molesters will come .well have a good look around!
Already here makes no difference.
No, you mean gypsies and car thieves (which brings along other crimes with stolen/ghost cars)
They are already on the island and they are Caulkheads
Wightlink charge high fares to cover costs of advertising, on national TV several times today, there codes system for discounts and refurbishing ferry. We would use ferry more if 1/2 price, most crossings would be full, more people from mainland would come over ( who wants to pay £200 ),could stop the millions spent on advertising and add to profit. Before long only rich and upper class will be able to afford. It’s not too many years back it was £25 day return and £35 period. Running costs and staffing have not increased as much as fares, also a lot less staff now as well. As an Islander I want a no thrills ferry at reasonable price. Currently it’s most expensive short crossing in world. Forcing many working to move from Island
”Before long only rich and upper class will be able to afford” .. yes, in fact I think we are pretty much there already! lots of people I know can’t even contemplate taking an ordinary family car over the water for a simple trip! … just sad.
How long has it taken them to work this out?
Good,accurate points made.Start a petition – send to P.M.
Nothing has happened in last 20 years nothing is going to happen for the next 20 years..
Very true and well said
Law untoo themselves and all just for shareholders
It’s isn’t just Wightlink… If the ferry actually leaves on time and isn’t cancelled you are then faced with Southern Rail cancelling their service at a moments notice.
Absolutely no point in trying to book things in advance so these days I just don’t even try.
To put it bluntly, the UK as a whole is broke and no amount of upset letters or signatures on a petition is going to help….
Everyone……..remember all of this when the General Election is held later this year. Make sure you vote if you want change and a better Britain. Put your cross in the right box! The Conservatives don’t give a fig and haven’t got a clue how to fix anything!
It appears you’ve made a typo mate, you need to replace “Conservatives” with the word “Politicians” .
Mr Bob seely dosnt care about his island constituents or the island as it shows what he votes on in parliament 7 times last year he voted on something the the island but 66 times on Russia 40 something times on Ukraine & 20 something times on China do we not think it’s about time we got rid of Mr half a sausage Roll Seely who is more bothered about his free Skiing Holliday then iow ferries & the island the man is a Joke
To get rid of Mr Seely, the Tories have to be voted out of number 10. General Election coming up this year!!!!!!!!
Vote wisely.
Do you really think the Island is debated as frequently as Ukraine, Russia, China etc. You can only vote on a subject if it comes up for debate.
Do you think the Island comes up that much in Parliament, he can only vote on it if there is something to vote about which is normally only put forward by him.
Brilliant, I just hope I’m not the only one reading this, because it is what we’re all thinking and commenting on but haven’t got the brass nuts to put pen to paper.
and neither has the person who wrote the letter, as they didn’t have the brass nuts to sign it!
It’s a general election year so this should be a priority for who ever we select & holds greater significance to plastic pollution or gardening etc which the current MP is more interested in.
None of them care about this little pisspot isle..
Is it possible to get a collated list of all of the cancellations and delays on Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel so far this year
no it isn’t
I don’t think I had a trip last year, that did not incur a cancellation or delay of some sort, it just makes any trip of this island more stressful as you always have to factor in last minute changes. I agree, over priced, unreliable.
perhaps they should always make sure that they are hiring the best people for the jobs, rather than focus on diversity, as this is always the result.
hint – if you ever need urgent surgery at the Hospital, who would you want operating on you – the best surgeon or the most diverse surgeon – think the answer is obvious.
So you are arguing for only one surgeon for each hospital then? After all you only want the best surgeon to operate on you. What about when they are on holiday who will do the operations then? Obviously somebody not as good as the best surgeon. Will that be fair on those patients?
Since we aren’t training people to decent standard or adequate numbers, it is inevitable that the “best” is likely to be of foreign origin.
But Don’t Panic! Dr Bob MBE MP is on the case.
There is one thing we can do this year. That is ensure that the bloke who could do something but has done nothing doesn’t get another 5 years to continue to do nothing.
Apart from obviously feathering his own personal nest.
His replacement will also do nothing. They are all the same
Wightwank is appalling, expensive and crap, probably be trolled by wightwank now..happened twice this week so far..bunch of goons
Great to see some of our finest academic minds working on solutions to the issues on the island.
So many reasons the Island is failing
No.1 extortionate Ferry fares
No.2 24/7 364 days a year parking charges
No.3 50p toilet charges
Etc Etc
yet still the tourists flock here, I wonder why?
Because that ridiculous programme about thd wonderful sunny island is shoved down people’s throats. That’s why! And during covid, the news readers told everyone to come because we had the lowest number of covid infections. We are used and abused too frequently and as residents we get no incentive or compensation for shoddy services, but we’re expected to put up and shut up with the consequence of their actions.
The ferry service is disgusting, we are already penalised by just living here but we suffer more from these companies through failure to deliver decent fares and decent services. They’re money hungry and we shouldn’t let them get away with it. By the way I am an islander
I posted as a response previously. I don’t believe the council ever owned Wightlink. Back in the 80’s It was part of the railways then as Sealink and subsequently sold. As long as both companies are profit making rather than service providers it will never improve. After living and loving the island for 40 years we are moving off, because of the ferries.
I am thinking of doing the same Shite Link are running a
terrible service and are getting away with it.
Last night they cancelled Ferries and people had to
sleep in their vehicles for Hours.
Where is the island MP on this matter?
The Island struggles financially because it has a limited population whose council tax income is insufficient to maintain education, adult social care etc etc, the council has to charge for others things to get enough income. If you don’t like it you can leave and go to a bigger community where lots more people pay taxes.
Things I would like to say about wightlink, first of all if you purchase a book of tickets you get a discount but when you try and book your place what you want is not available ? You then try and book it without your block ticket and space is available ? The other thing I would like to point out is the reason there are so many cancellations is the fact they don’t have a full load BTW have been told that from a person that worked for them , as for cancellations due to technical problems like every other day if these ferries are in such bad condition should they even be in the water?
We come to the island every year two or three times a year have done for forty six years the ferries are getting so expensive we have already booked our holiday in may mainland instead. Surely they can sort something out about the fares the ferry business needs us as much as we need them and so does the island. Red funnel do special camping and caravan specials but even those are increasing. COVID didn’t help and everyone and businesses have found it difficult but people need to get jobs off the island and do need the transport. Surely someone can step in.
If only we had a really effective MP who put the interests of his constituents before party politics and before his ambition to be picked to sit at the big table.
Between ’88 and ’89, I would commute to Southampton.
I’d drive from Ryde to East Cowes and leave my car on a side street with free parking. I’d take the chain ferry to Cowes and travel on Shearwater Hydrofoil to Southampton. I don’t remember ever having any cancellations or being late. On most days, I was in my office at London Road, Southampton, by 08:15 hrs, ready to conduct training sessions.
My way home, returning to the Island, was no different: simple, on time and affordable.
My recent travels with Wightlink were expensive (50% increase in twelve months), late on departure and with filthy toilets. My ‘CLEAN ME’ was still visible in the toilets five days later. This was Wightlinks ‘Flagship’, a £31 million vessel.
Let’s use Wightlink as an example here: Wightlink is a privately owned company. Its prices rise not just to invest back into its own business expenses (fuel, upkeep etc…), but to pay its investors and shareholders who don’t necessarily have any obligation to the communities that (in this example) Wightlink service – this is the same story up and down this country where successive governments have sold off vital public services to private investors.
If people really want a better standard of service on these ferries then governments need to be real, bring all of these privately owned public services back into public ownership- that means higher taxes, but a better standard of public services from transport, energy, health and education
And when it was owned by the railways people still moaned continually, but everyone seems to forget.
Just been over to Pompey for a really enjoyable meal and a show at the Guild Hall. Got to the terminal to find that not only was the midnight sailing cancelled, but so was the 0300, meaning that the next available sailing was 0500. But its OK, they gave us vouchers for a free drink each when we sail…
So, yet another letter whining about the ferry service. Why did you move to an island if you constantly want to get on and off? On the rare occasions I use the ferries they seem to offer a great service. There seems to be a general lack of understanding about how companies operate and some seriously patronising comments about tourism. The island is not dying and besides, tourism does very little for the average resident. It’s great for a few wealthy business people but aren’t those exactly the same sorts that run the ferry companies, therefore should apparently be despised simply for expecting a profit for their investments?
Grow up and move away if you’re unhappy.
You sad blinkered boring idiot! Just because you don’t have a life you expect everyone else to follow you!? What about people having to commute? Hospital appointments? Uni students? Not everyone wants to go on shopping jollies occasionally like you, they need to leave to work and live basically ! How privileged you are!! Are ridiculous as well to say such twoddle to decent people
Sadly, no-one cares. Even our own MP. Those poor people stuck in their cold, dark cars overnight tonight should have been sent to hotel’s paid for by Wightlink.
I think they should change the name to gold link !
I mean.. that’s the whole public transport, urban design and infrastructure in the UK that’s poor.
Not only ferries but buses and trains are not as good and cheap as in the Netherlands or Germany either, not to mention comparatively almost non-existing safe cycling infrastructure, pedestrianised zones and so on.
But we only seem to care about mobility of society if it affects the motorist. Everyone else has been dismissed for years and told to just buy a car.
We accepted low standards everywhere else in public transport and urban design, so why ferries would aim to be different? Just buy a boat, eh?
How many years has this been happening? It’s time for everyone to wake up and realise that nothing can be done about the ferry companies, as they are privately owned. The government have investigated them before.
They also keep themselves millions in debt to avoid paying UK tax. Red Funnel are at least £90 million in debt and Wightlink £300 million in debt, so this would have to be paid off before anything is done!
The only solution is a fixed link, which will give everyone a fast, reliable, affordable way on & off, without the need for booking a space. Road tolls are regulated by the government, & the most expensive in the UK at present is around £12 return. Imagine being able to travel on or off in around 6 minutes!
Wightlink is a rip-off, no question about it. But that’s what you get with a monopoly business. To suggest that Wightlink and Red Funnel are competitors in a ‘fierce’ market is to imply that either company could service the entire market on their own. They couldn’t. Wightlink and Red Funnel effectively comprise a cartel. Whichever way you analyse their fare structures the prices come out the same. Both of them are rip-offs. In America you can go twice the distance on an island hopping ferry (Puget Sound for example) at a fraction of the price. .
Every time I go away with my job,which is quite often,iam amazed that the fares gone up again by another 50p, so now it’s nearly £40 for a period return for a foot passenger which is absolutely professional theft.
WHERE THE HELL IS IT GOING TO END.
Sort it out POP UP BOB…..or would that affect your free book of tickets off of them.
You’re an absolute disgrace of an MP and don’t give a sh&t about us Islanders.
Anchor Infront of the ferry in your boat and make a statement……..
Maybe a TV drama series called Mr Isle o’Wight vs The Ferry Companies might do the trick.
Toll bridge. Toll bridge Toll bridge luddites will still make money!
Terrible Ferry Services
Last night Wightlink cancelled Ferries and families were stranded
on the mainland for Hours until next Ferry in 7 hours time.
Regardless of whether it should have been disposed of, it has been so therefore lets not waste anymore energy on it. What we do need is a a public enquiry not based anywhere near the IOW council as to the future of the ferries and ageing hovercrafts. Regardless of what transpires I repeat do not let it anywhere near the council, they have too many vested interests in seeing anything change.
I’ve just read another article by Island Echo reporting another cancellation. Wightlink’s response is: “Wightlink has an excellent reliability record. Over the last three months, it has operated more than 99% of scheduled sailings.”
Really?
Give up on ferries, a fixed link doesn’t cancel, or dance to shareholders profit
Its interesting that the fiasco with CalMac with their increasing unreliable services to the Western Isles are now playing second fiddle to WL and RFS. Tourism to the outer Hebrides has taken a huge hit over the past 2-3 years and some of the inner islands are also being hit. A worrisome situation that as pointed out is going to affect the Island. The only. advantages of CalMac are the subsidised RET fates and they can also blame the SNP lrd Scottish government to blame..to an extent. WL and RFS have so such excuse
It would help if the Ferries were regulated like other forms of public transportation
Try working harder and then you can afford it
My comments aren’t really going to add much to the debate but what I really can’t understand is where all this fixed link pie in the sky comments come from.
10 years ago or whatever it was the new fangled social media came in and gave a voice to everyone who had an opinion, The fixed link brigade had a platform to become vocal but it all died down again after a few years.
The country has changed so much since then and it is plain to see now that no government will ever give a toss about the paltry 140,000 or so residents on the Isle of Wight.
Count your blessings that we still allowed to travel to the mainland and back by whatever expensive means…
No tin foil hat needed…. just look around and see how things are shaping up.