A petition has been launched to push cross-Solent operator Wightlink to reinstate its pre-COVID timetable on its Ryde-Portsmouth catamaran service, with over 1,500 people already putting their names to the cause since yesterday (Sunday).
Many things have returned to normal since the COVID pandemic but the Fastcat service is not one of them, with residents on both sides of the Solent reinforcing calls to bring back later crossings.
As it stands, the last Fastcat sailing from Portsmouth is at 20:20. This means, for example, an Islander who travels to London for a day needs to leave Waterloo Station on the 18:00 train to catch the last FastCat crossing. Any later and the only option is to wait for the 22:15 car ferry sailing to Fishbourne, which brings you in at a different port to where you left the Island in the morning.
The petition, launched by local parish councillor Harriet Hadfield and addressed to Keith Greenfield, CEO of Wightlink, has a simple ask: later evening sailings on the FastCat – in both directions. There are calls for up to 3 later sailings including at least 1 after 22:00, every day of the week. These should be timed to align with trains arriving in Portsmouth Harbour station.
Hariett decided to start this petition, which went live on Sunday morning, after taking a 22:15 car ferry in late September with over 60 foot passengers onboard. She had to get a taxi to the car ferry as she felt unsafe in Portsmouth and then had to get another taxi from Fishbourne back to her car in Ryde.
Wightlink has said it is currently monitoring demand – but has not revealed any plans to bring back later crossings anytime soon.
You can sign the petition at https://www.change.org/p/isleofwight-residents-to-wightlink-we-need-later-evening-fastcat-sailings-please.
Harriet Hadfield, who is a parish councillor in Nettlestone and Seaview, says:
“I’ve been totally overwhelmed – but not that surprised – with the speed in which we’ve gathered more than 1500 signatures. It just shows the strength of feeling over this issue and how many Islanders, and indeed mainlanders, have been affected by the reduced FastCat timetable since COVID.
“The petition asks people to add their experiences in the comments section so that I can collate the case studies for Wightlink – in the hope that the real-life issues Islanders face will make a difference.
“This petition will be sent to Keith Greenfield, Wightlink CEO when we’ve reached enough signatures. I will also send it to Bob Seely MP plus Portsmouth MPs such as Penny Mordaunt who we know is sympathetic to the issues of cross-Solent travel.
“As a local journalist via my 5-Stories newsletter and Island Stories podcast, I receive so many messages from subscribers about the problems of cross-Solent travel. It’s undoubtedly the number 1 issue for Islanders and I believe vital to the sustainability of our Island economically and socially”.
I would have thought with financial climate Wightlink would be doing more to keep all of their services running to meet the demands of users. Well done for starting petition, personally the daily travel to and from mainland does loose it’s appeal after the first few days so the quicker we can get to our destination the better.
How can you monitor something that at the moment doesn’t exist? Wightlink should at least do a trial period and then monitor the use.
Seems to me they are making more than enough money on the half service. Why worry about passengers?? Only people pressure will make them change.
It strikes me that if you run a public service – and for many the ferries are an essential public service – then you can’t by definition hope to operate it at a bare minimum level and earn top dollar at the same time.
At the moment the ferry companies seem to be just doing the latter, cancelling early morning sailings, cutting out uneconomic ferry crossings e.g. the late evening and night crossings and yet charging what seems an extortionate amount just because they can.
If you run a public service then it needs to be run for the benefit of the public. That’s the whole point of it.
It is not actually classed as a public service, it is a private company ferrying the public… and being private they can charge as much as they like… no laws stopping them. this is why we need a TUNNEL….. set price each way… not closed after8 pm, and open on Christmas day…!!
Love the way people think that downvotes miraculously make facts untrue.
Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel ARE all private companies. If they decide that running one crossing a day is right for their business, they can, and no amount of petitions is going to change that fact.
If people want a service to the mainland that has to adhere to a service level agreement then it needs to be a new service.
If they don’t want to run late fastcats they should provide a shuttle bus service from Fishbourne port to Ryde for the late car ferry sailings. The least they could do.
Fair point, well made!
I didn’t realise until recently, but the number 9 bus does detour down Fishbourne Lane to the Ferry terminal to meet the midnight sailing from Portsmouth, so at 00.50 to go to Ryde. There is also one in the Newport direction at a similar time, it is on their timetable. However, the bus does not meet the 22.15 sailing as well, no idea why.
That’s worth knowing. Thanks for the tip off.
People say to me “catch the car ferry to Fishbourne as a foot passenger”. It is a long old walk up Fishbourne lane to the main road & takes the edge off a nice day out on the mainland if you have to do that. Not everyone has a car or, indeed, has someone they can call & get them to collect them from the ferry terminal.
They need to do later crossing, I am 70 and can not use the car ferry as there is no bus service from there. Also for me go up to Woolwich dockyard by train from Portsmouth that takes 2hrs +, is round about the same price as the 20min crossing from Ryde to Portsmouth.
Well done for getting this petition online! Wightlink could not care less about what we want or need. An arrogant company with zero customer care. Having no post 2000 cats is insane. They are holding us to ransom
60 people on a car ferry and 1500 sign a petition….that is 1440 that never travel after 2000
Nothing will change. The system is broken. Join the revolution on the 5th of November. Join the Million mask March. Full fill the goals of Guy Fawkes. A storm is coming and the people are rising. Time for the UK to have a real democracy and there is only one way we’ll get.
60 foot passengers on car ferry….clearly not enough to cover the cost of running late cats….are you willing to pay higher ticket prices to cover these cat costs.
Very True the cost of he fuel, extra set of crew running cost of the vessel 60 pas it doesn’t even break even, But how is it that Britain subsidies Krankies ferries in Scotland for Millions of pounds why not down here, and no we don’t want a bridge or Tunnel if you don’t want to live on the Island then Bu—er off.
Because the calmac operation cannot sustain itself on its own at all, hence the public service obligation imposed on it, which attracts the financial subsidy by the taxpayer. The fastcat is supported by the car ferry, is not the sole link to the island and as such, cannot get taxpayer subsidy, which means that wightlink will only run boats that pay for theirselves. There won’t be many loss making boats run and they don’t have the cash or crews to run all day as it is – hence the two hour gap every weekday in the morning and afternoon.
The Island is desperate for a Bridge.
Could walk across, cycle, scoot or drive across
What a winner it would be for everyone
no it wouldn’t…we would have every idiot in a caravan here parked up en masse in car parks and even more deadbeats that at present won’t pay the ferry fares dossing on the island
The only other sustainable long term investment solution is a bridge or tunnel I know we’re talking millions/ billions of pounds but long term it would claw money back if a reasonable toll not robbing charge was introduced .
just look at the cost of helicopter to and from st marys for one , I could go on and on .
ok there are people who wouldn’t want this ,Red Funnel ,Wightlink for 2
but you wouldn’t get a closure if the essential worker didn’t feel like coming into work today or there wasn’t enough people on that particular ferry
Hovertravel is a public company as well. But they go the extra mile for their customers & often put on extra services at the drop of a hat. The staff are so nice as well & they all help towards making you feel welcome. And no I don’t work for, or know anyone who does. Just impressed with the level of service which is aimed towards it passengers
No.
Hovertravel, like Wightlink and Red Funnel are private companies. By that I mean their main responsibility is to their shareholders.
The fact that Hovertravel have a better customer care record than the other two has nothing whatsoever to do with their trading status.
It’s all to do with their different philosophies on how to maximise profits.
Yes, but only when it’s working. So many breakdowns and cancellations on that service.
None of the ferry companies are “public” companies. Their main concern is, and always will be, to their shareholders.
None of them have service level agreements, none of them receive subsidies to run unprofitable crossings and no amount of petitioning is going to change this.
for once i agree with you worky…. ferries are “for profit” enterprises and not public services. At best they are infrastructure services. The ferry companies must make a profit or they cease to operate.
Wightlink don’t give a flying fig about such petitions.
The whole Covid hysteria has been abused by firms such as this who realised (to their amazement) just how compliant and gullible the public would be with such lowering of services. And of course the savings that were, and continue to be, made.
I live near Wimbledon and used to travel to the IOW to spend the day on the Steam Railway and then the evening watching the Speedway racing at Smallbrook Stadium. On the way home I always met people who were doing the same sort of thing and like me relied on the Fastcat to catch the last train back to London. Since Wightlink cancelled the late sailing I have not visited the island. Businesses on the island need to know they are losing a lot of trade due to Wightlink not running the late sailings. The politicians need to bring pressure on Wightlink to reinstate the late sailings or find a way to bring another company in who will do the job properly.