Richard Quigley MP has been given further backing from the Government on his work to improve cross-Solent transport.
Recognising the impact of cross-Solent travel on Island residents, the Minister for Maritime, Keir Mather MP, will now meet regularly with Richard Quigley MP to discuss the reliability, frequency and price of cross-Solent transport.
As part of these meetings, Richard will call for top priority to be given to the commencement of the Cross-Solent Group, which will examine the long-standing issues with cross-Solent ferry services.
Richard is also working with the Government to ensure greater transparency from ferry operators on pricing, reliability and frequency.
In recognition of Richard’s campaigning on this issue, the maritime minister is also expected to visit the Isle of Wight in the coming months.
Minister for Maritime, Keir Mather MP said:
“I know that residents on the Isle of Wight have suffered with the high cost, low reliability and poor frequency of cross-Solent ferry services for far too long. Richard has been a tireless advocate for this issue in Parliament. I look forward to continuing to meet with him regularly, and to visiting the Island to see the impact of these poor services first-hand”
MP for Isle of Wight West, Richard Quigley said:
“I’m grateful that the Minister not only recognises the challenges we face, but is also committed to finding a solution that truly works for Islanders. It’s painfully clear to all of us here how serious the problem has become, but this is the first time in many years that it’s being addressed in a meaningful way. Joe Robertson MP and I are united in this campaign as island MPs, and we’ll continue to push for the change our community deserves”
Wow Quigley is taking credit for the obvious. The ferry companies ARE transparent in pricing, dynamic pricing and lack of a decent service, rip off prices and a rubbish service. What more do you need??? You can examine it until the cows come home, nothing will change with this lot in charge, couldn’t trust Quigley or his party to run a bath.
And,as usual,nothing will be done,robertson is pushing harder than you seldom seen quigley,this is just a photo op.
Yet another socialist that sneers at the hard work and effort of the workers who do the engineering work to provide the reliability, the staff that do their best to make the ferry run on time and who also seem to think that the workers dont deserve a decent wage, as they expect tickets to be practically free
I don’t think anyone (except supporters of the current business model of the ferry companies) think that the workers don’t deserve a decent wage.
what most people do think, is that we (the users of the ferries) shouldn’t be paying to fund excessive profits to line someone elses pockets…
Most socialists kicked off when the ferry companies started fire and rehire contracts for staff with a lower wage for the same job. Nowhere does either socialist in this piece criticise the staff; they mention pricing (a management decision), reliability ( management decision based on lack of investment) and frequency (a management decision of operational costs).
That’s the trouble with automatic biased myopia….it affects reading and comprehension skills.
nice try sunshine -lefty do gooders have had their day. The islands ferries were awful under national ownership in the 70’s.
unless the govt is willing to actually put money into the ferries, then they get no say on pricing or anything else. All this chatter by Mp’s is just that, chatter, to make it look like they are doing something.
there is no such thing as excessive profits – it is a business in a for profit area.
Lefty do gooders? Do you mean politicians who work for the rights of the people as opposed to the rights of business models? Do you mean those who managed to get you pension rights, fair wages, a social security system and free education and healthcare? If they’ve had their day you’re in big trouble Dave.
And just so you know, in the 70’s they were still run by companies, but not those who wanted rampant profiteering as they were part of nationalised British Rail. They were affordable but not necessarily pretty. The rot set in in 1979 under Thatcherism where they became totally privatised.
First rule of business economics…break even. The rest is profit, sometimes excessive and only ever designed for the pockets of the few. The many who use the service get precisely no more out of it than a trip across the water.
drivel sunshine – 1979 under labour top tax rate 83%, tax on returns on capital 98%, rich left in droves, there were rampant strikes as nationalised industries demanded above inflation pay rises, bread lines in the streets for food, the poor got poorer and the PM went cap in hand to the IMF for a loan. The country was bankrupt due to labours mismanagement. The torys were voted in, taxes were cut, the rich returned and privatisation happened to pay off the debts and loans labour had run up with their lefty, do gooder socialist policies
sunshine says…The rest is profit, sometimes excessive and only ever designed for the pockets of the few. The many who use the service get precisely no more out of it than a trip across the water.
..
that is what they are paying for – a trip across the water, what else would they be using the ferry for. Are you for real sunshine – jeez
So by your reasoning you will be happy to pay higher and higher prices as long as the market will stand the increases which it will because there is no alternative.
He promised to get the study done – he’s lost my vote
Recent Island Echo Articles:
1st November: Joe Robertson MP met with the new Maritime Minister, Keir Mather MP
5th November: Joe Robertson MP met with the new Maritime Minister, Keir Mather MP, earlier this week to keep the case for ferry regulation firmly.
Addressing the House, after patiently sitting in the commons …….
‘We are tired of your rip-off prices and we are tired of funding your ballooning bank debt’ – those are the words of East Wight MP Joe Robertson who earlier this afternoon (Wednesday) presented a bill to Parliament on ferry regulation.
They’re pretty equal in terms of advocacy on the ferries problem, it’s just that one trumpets ‘look at me’ via media every time while the other just gets on with it. Try Hansard for details.
keir mather can get lost
the staff on the ferries work hard to ensure they run and run on time. this socialist clown refers to their efforts as poor services
which of the pigs in animal farm is this one
It’s not the staff that are the problem, it’s the management decisions and ideology, as all the staff would tell you. Nowhere did Mather suggest it was anything to do with poor staff.
he said poor services …it is the staff that deliver the service – socialist pig insulting workers
Only in your head did he insult anyone. The staff deliver the service but don’t design it. Bit of a chip on your shoulder I think. Or just dim.
the staff deliver the service they’re instructed to / allowed to by the management…
it’s not as if the operational staff have any say on timetables, prices, maintenance (reliability) etc….
so no,.. it’s not the staff that are the problem and the workers were not being insulted..
yes they are – it is the workers that maintain the boats, it is the workers that load them and ensure on time performance. So yes, the animal farm socialist is insulting workers, whilst his bosses are stealing more money from workers in taxes
And what will come of it…….NOTHING.
Where did the minister say he was ‘committed to finding a solution that truly works for islanders’. All I read from the ministers words is he intends to visit the island to ‘see the impact of these poor services first hand’ .
they won’t be doing anything. Unless the govt is willing to actually put money into the ferries to run unprofitable or little used timed services, then nothing will happen.
not one of the three operators will run unprofitable, loss making services, as they are reliant on ticket revenue to pay their bills/running costs and salaries.
shops ditch loss making products -ferries/airlines etc ditch loss making routes/services, unless the govt is willing to fund them
if all the business had to do was cover the ‘bills/running costs and salaries’,.. (and even investment for new ferries),.. the fares could be lower than they are,.. but the business model (e.g. owned by a finance company,.. for the purpose of generating revenue (other than operating costs) for shreholders etc) dictates that fares must generate far more that just what it costs to run the ferries…
that is what a business is for you dullard – to make money for the owners – this isn’t the taxpayer funded public sector
Whilst having the Island’s problems on the agenda is a good thing, the worry is that this will be yet another example of “all talk and no do”
We need action to solve the ferry issue, not more talk that leads nowhere as usual!
More talk, just a free trip for the maritime minister.
All we need is a decent timber company to extend
the length of Ryde Pier and abracadabra we can
walk, cycle, drive or catch a train to the mainland.
Just put an opening in the middle for ships to go
through when necessary.
JOB DONE.
Obviously charge to use it, no more waiting
around for ferries and 45 mins to cross the solent
Just drive across in 5-10 minutes.
More bureaucratic rubberbanding. What this needs is firm positive action, not more meetings. The situation is more than obvious, and further delay is doing more damage every day to an already decimated economy on the island.
I really wish people would stop muddying the waters with arguments about left or right wing or this or that MP. Both Island MPs are of one mind and are working effectively together to achieve the best result they can. People need to focus on the problem and not on scoring cheap points based on their own bias which take no one anywhere.
Another Transport Minister coming to visit the island how many is that now?