Red Funnel has refused to answer questions about its plans to avoid further disruption moving forward after an apparent decision to remove Red Jet 4 from its operational hi-speed fleet. The Australian-built Red Jet 4 was pulled from service back in November last year when an engine failed, prompting a fire service response. Customers have been led to believe that repairs are being undertaken and that the vessel will return in due course. But it has been confirmed this week that Red Jet 4 has only partially had her certification renewed with the hi-speed craft appearing for sale online at a price of $3.4million – around £2.6million. Island Echo has asked the cross-Solent operator to confirm when exactly the decision was taken not to bring Red Jet 4 back into service, and whether or not the vessel will ever return to the West Cowes-Southampton route. Further questions have been asked about what the company is doing to ensure a revised timetable isn’t almost constantly in operation – should 1 of the 2 remaining Red Jets break down, as has been the case in recent months. Red Funnel has refused to answer the questions, including whether or not Red Jet 4 will be replaced by a new hi-speed craft – perhaps to be called Red Jet 8. Even if a replacement craft was ordered today, it would take at least 12 months before Red Jet 8 was on the water – indicating that many disruptive months lay ahead for commuters, day trippers and holidaymakers. Some comment has been provided on the situation though. Leanna Lakes, Operations Director at Red Funnel, has said:
“Although Red Jet 4 is an older vessel, we have had interest from other operators in her, and we are carefully considering our options regarding her future in alignment with prioritising the reliability and sustainability of our services. “We have only partially renewed her certification and are focused on ensuring that Red Jets 6 & 7 operates a reliable and punctual service to the high standards that our customers rightly expect. “We will update further in due course regarding Red Jet 4”.
What happened to Red Jet 5?
She was sold to an Italian ferry company in 2016
Is that what we call good customer service?
Time to let the concession go to another provider or, dare I say it, provide a fixed link.
No economic justification for a fixed link and there never will be.
The answer is regulation. The government should set up a ferry service regulator and apply fines when services levels are not met, as well as other punishments. That is the only solution. Write to your MP and tell him. Start a petition. Make change happen.
No the answer is not regulation and the government have made it crystal clear that will not happen.
Just bring back Sealink
What concession?
RF run a service they started & continue to provide. Any other company can also provide a similar service if they wish or even put in an offer to buy out RF as it is up for sale.
Red Funnel are finished. Fixed link time, get rid of these rip off ferry companies.
A fixed link will never happen in your life time,too many problems apart from the Island finding the money for a fixed link, the Government won’t have it in their plans to put money aside for the link to enter into any Motorway or near any town on the mainland
This government have no plans for anything, future ones might. Red Funnel certainly are hiding a lot of what is going on, the sell off especially. It is going to happen and the island will be crippled for travel for years.
Anyone considering a fixed link needs to bear in mind that it would need to accommodate the huge cruise ships, container vessels and warships going to and from Southampton.
Just google Sydney Harbour bridge to see an example of a bridge that would not be high enough above the water to do the job.
Adjusted for inflation that one cost about 15 billion to build and we’d need something even bigger.
Something like the Golden Gate bridge might just do it but that one was so expensive that they still need to charge tolls nearly 90 years after it was built.
It couldn’t be a bridge, would have to be a tunnel. The quicker they start to build one the better. We’re all held hostages by F/F and W/L with their extortionate fares. They don’t give a damn if they run or not and the onboard staff well…. best leave that one! This is where MP Bob Seeley should be trying to help islanders have freedom & not help the ferry companies. It ok trying to get government funding but throwing it into the ferry companies does nothing to help islanders. A tunnel would give young islanders more choice of jobs, freedom of hosp appts. They would have a choice of colleges, uni’s etc. Day trippers would come here, putting much needed money into our economy. I’d be happy to pay £20 each way
The island will never have a bridge or tunnel because the astronomical cost could never be justified. A bridge or tunnel would cost many billions and there is no economic justification for building one just to serve a very small population with a meagre industrial output. Forget it.
I know the deluded people on here have’nt a clue how much this would cost and the enginering involed would be massive billions and years to make good..give it up people please.
Where is pop up Bob now, woefully silent, unless there is a photo op of course and a free sausage going.
I was told by a employee of red funnel that the reason the toilets are always out of action is that they don’t have time to pump them out as with only 2 working boats the turn around is to quick, and they are not allowed to empty tanks into the sea as to close to shore and when crossing they are travelling to fast
Trouble is, Leanna Lakes, 6 and 7 are not providing a reliable and punctual service at all, let alone to the high standards that us, the customers, want! Tell the truth for once and let us know what is really going on.
They will never tell us the truth.
It is so easy to shout out for a fixed link but in what world do you think any UK government care a single jot about 240,000 residents on the island.
Far better to campaign for better service of what we already have (not that I expect that will go far either)
We live on a small island, our choice….
Fully agree on the bridge point – far better to pester our MP for improvements.
Although we choose to live here that doesn’t make us second class citizens.
Accepting the compromises of Island life is one thing but, with more and more services being moved to the mainland a reliable and affordable ferry service is not a luxury, it’s essential.
Is it going to take the death of someone who couldn’t get to a hospital appointment to make that point?
I certainly hope not.
Please – contact Bob and let him know that we need more than just angry tweets.
If enough of us do that he might just feel compelled to take the matter seriously.
240,000? Where did you pluck that number from?
Why does that not surprise me !!!!
Sounds like another floating bridge mess up – perhaps they will consider getting UK manufacturers in the future – Australia is a long way to travel for a vessel of any description!
6 and 7 where built in the UK and 4 had been for sale awhile.
What a shit show dreadful company all respect lost for good top management should be sacked maybe company sold off..100s of people rely on this shit service for work from both sides never had this shit 15/20 years ago
https://www.apolloduck.com/boat/commercial-vessels-ferry-fast-pax-for-sale/725296
Spend some of your ill gotten gains that you have fleeced from us for years and ignore the squealing of the fat cat piggy in the trough shareholders and commission new jets and boats now. I wonder if Fran and Leanna are shareholders as well as getting phenomenal wages.