Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden MP visited the Isle of Wight last week (Friday) and met with East Wight MP Joe Robertson to hear from Islanders about the high cost of ferry travel.
The MPs also met Wightlink’s CEO Katy Taylor to discuss the impact of the Government’s new green tax on ferries due to be introduced this summer.
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will mean a new levy on Wightlink’s Portsmouth to Fishbourne route will apply from 1st July costing an estimated £1 million a year.
The scheme is supposed to incentivise investment in new battery vessels but there is no grid charging capacity at Portsmouth or Southampton for a battery operated fleet.
During the visit Mr Holden took the helm of Wightlink’s Victoria of Wight which, despite being the Solent’s only hybrid battery ferry, will be subject to the new taxation regime along with St Clare.
The Conservatives voted against the Government’s ferry tax which won’t apply to Scottish Islands and are calling for a fairer approach that recognises the Isle of Wight’s unique dependence on ferry travel.
Joe Robertson MP said:
“It was great to welcome the Shadow Transport Secretary to the Island so he could better understand the challenges we face with expensive ferries and the strength of feeling about any extra costs imposed by Government. Once again, the Isle of Wight is being treated unfairly.
“On the one hand Government Ministers say they want to help find solutions to high prices by convening roundtable meetings with the Department of Transport, but at the same time the Government is increasing costs of Solent transport through this unnecessary green levy. I have been trying to give the Labour Government the benefit of the doubt by working cross-party but this is s slap in the face for all of us.”
Richard Holden MP said:
“This tax on Isle of Wight ferries is madness. Island residents are already paying over the odds for simply doing things that people on the mainland take for granted and now the Government want to pile on yet more cost to crossing the Solent.
“My position is clear: the Government should not be introducing the charge. With instability in the Middle East and fuel prices sky-rocketing there is still time to hit the pause button and think again. They also need to get going with the round-table meetings that they promised Islanders nearly a year ago – to help tackle high ticket prices, address reliability issues and boost the Isle of Wight economy for everyone.”
I wonder if the Ferry companies will increase their prices !!
I don’t know who is worse.
IW Council who keep increasing Council tax or
the scandalous ferry companies .
They are all after our hard earned!.
They have started already have you seen the prices for Easter crossings
Why bother weather crap any way..
Yes already bloody expensive £240 plus car period..joke why come here island is dying..
Another Nail in the coffin of the Isle of Wight.
Tourism is already on it’s knees.
IQ levels in No10 are so low these days that they cannot comprehend the obvious fact that all their new tax will do is make an already expensive crossing, completely unaffordable!
Trouble is they don’t even attempt to understand us. If we were an inner city area or part of the industrial north Labour may be more sympathetic, but the truth is they just don’t care about the Isle of Wight and its people!
Remember that when you next cast your vote!!
The only way to save this Island is to
build a Bridge or Tunnel.
Oh fuck off give it up..
Net zero climate bollocks..£240 plus return ..fuckoff for just 45 minuets?? not much more Portsmouth to France should be £50 each way a car ..Ripoff..
And Mr Quiglys silence speaks volumes