Wightlink has announced that vehicles travelling up Ryde Pier will no longer have to pay a toll, as the cross-Solent operator abolishes the £1.30 charge altogether.
From Wednesday (21st July), the Ryde Pier Toll will cease to exist as Wightlink changes the way it finances the maintenance and refurbishment of Britain’s oldest working pier. It comes as a result of customer feedback and to reduce traffic congestion.
However, 50p will be added to individual Fastcat journeys to supplement the loss of the toll. Multilink, Season Ticket and Business Pass holders will not be affected by this change.
The Pier Toll was originally introduced to fund maintenance of the 207-year-old listed structure, which costs around £250,000 a year to keep in a safe working condition.
Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield says:
“Abolishing the toll and removing the barrier will reduce delays for people wanting to drive up to the FastCat terminal, making for an easier journey especially for commuters.”
There has been some suggestion that Island Line trains won’t be running to Ryde Pier Head when services finally resume, which could explain today’s news, although an announcement from South Western Railway is yet to be made.
I think the pier charge was stupid to begin with. But now stating no trains to the ferry… so how are all the people going to get from pier to Esplanade…Not everyone can walk.. will they put in a tram service whilst rebuilding pier, or a conveyor belt !!
Use the Escooters at each end of the pier.
Not with luggage or children – have a bit of common
I agree – what about those who cannot walk and the idea of escooters is ridiculous – what if you have luggage or children, Why run the train at all if it not going to the ferry which is where the majority of people want to go. The ed of the fastcat I think
rumour has it that the trains are too heavy for the pier section in its current state and they do not want to spend the money upgrading the entire pier to ensure that it is safe to operate them.
The wet end of the pier is in a disgraceful and dilapidated state – it needs massive amounts of work done, to bring it to a standard, where you could have those trains on it.
This is another example of lack of maintenance over the years for the pier.
I gather the pier structure is over 200 years old, didn’t it occur to anyone that this would come back to bite someones back side.
Ive seen this lack of forethought too many times both here on the Island and on the mainland.
Not a great surprise.
What have they spend the toll money on? I’ve never seen any maintenance. If it costs £250,000 a year to keep in a safe working condition how come it looks the way it does? Where does the money go? In the pockets of Wightink shareholders no doubt!!
Pier should not have been hived of to whatever company at any one time runs the ferry ‘service’
They must have made a FORTUNE from the charges they made to use the Pier where has all this money been spent!
Restore the Seagull Ballroom.
Put a 10p per pint surcharge on beer to pay for upkeep.
Nobody wiil mind.
I don’t know who started this rumour that island line trains will not run to/from the pier head after the rail route upgrade is fully completed later this year. The pier head is the major traffic objective for Island Line and trains will work to/from the PH once the line is fully re-opened. And to the people who say that the new trains will not fit through Ryde tunnel it’s not true. Already one of the new trains has run through the tunnel recently for gauging checks which I understand was ok. I’ve seen pictures to prove it !!!!
3 months after adding 50p to a ticket they will put the toll back.
No fred, they will just up the toll to £1.30 to “simplify the accounts”.
So if i choose to walk down the pier why should i have to pay as pedestrians have never been charged, just wightlink ripping their customers off again.