New data analysis has revealed a marked increase in the price of ferry travel for both Wightlink and Red Funnel, even with inflation taken into consideration.
Ferry prices, which have long horrified Island residents, businesses and visitors, have been scrutinised to compare the difference in prices between 10 years ago and now.
The data shows that Wightlink’s fares have increased by a massive 87% over the past decade alone, with Red Funnel’s going up by an equally eyewatering 80%.
This tallies with the experience of many, although it should be acknowledged that these figures are based on a limited sample size with certain limitations. However, once 2 common measures of inflation are taken into account, the increases are less dramatic but still considerable.
When using the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the data shows that the increases are 45% above the CPI rate of inflation for Wightlink and 39% for Red Funnel. Against the Retail Price Index, the data shows that the increases are 27% above the RPI rate of inflation and 22% for Red Funnel.
The findings are published soon after Island Echo covered a prominent local firm bemoaning the ferry prices for ‘killing business‘.
Island Echo has recently heard from readers complaining about the cost of travel this Easter, with 1 reader stating that a return ticket on Wightlink over the Easter weekend has cost them in excess of £250.
Amidst a wider cost-of-living crisis, this will inevitably prompt fears about the impact on the Island’s vital tourism sector.
Robbing Toerags! Absolutely disgusting
Good, the more expensive it is, the LESS low life will be able to afford to move here.
SEE the positives here.
IF you have to travel to the mainland a lot then move over there. Simple.
By “low life” I assume you mean the people moving here to retire, because they outnumber the kind of people you allude to by 100:1.
Also, less investment from mainland firms on the island, more expensive goods in island shops and place significant additional strain on island businesses and public sectors who already struggle to recruit staff due to the excessive commuting costs and limitations.
The ‘low life’ are the ones who get paid a pittance to look after our elderly and sick, but I suppose being a snob you’ve probably got your live in care all sorted.
Nonetheless, ferries are still packed going back and forth. Wightlink are running a business and are clearly profit driven like any business should be. Good luck to them actually.
“Profit driven”, taking money from a captive Island population and destroying Island business in the process, how can that be good? Time for a change in transport supplier, None of the ferry services have any interest in good service just how much they can drain out of peoples pockets! Disgusting in a word.
The problem with you islanders is that you hate mainland folk unless we bring and spend bags of cash in the shortest time possible and then leave. It’s blatantly obvious.
And you wonder why people suggest a bridge.
A bridge ain’t the answer and never will be, a change of ferry service provider is the answer.
How exactly can you change the ferry provider? It’s not a franchise like the railway. It’s a private business, operating privately owned berthing facilities and privately owned vessels, which receive no public subsidy!
Rubbish, change the system that has failed the Island over and over again. Bridge or tunnel there’s nothing to be afraid of.
NOOOOO please stop this nonsence will never ever never be a bridge…ever.
Correct a bridge is not the answer, However a tunnel is, Just like Hindhead but ours would need spped cameras and a 30MPH speed limit but charge £50 return as that would deter people from coming over
Many people don’t like to admit it, but a bridge is now the answer.
Soon many persons will not be able to afford to go off the Island.
Yep then they will have to bring back the army to thin the blood lines AGAIN. Lol
Can’t afford it now, hope they have a defib present when I do as the shock may actually kill me!
Imagine a hot summers day. Queues stretching back to the mainland……
I wouldn’t hold my breath to be honest. UK is not even competent enough to do HS2 well on the ground, let alone a bridge over sea.
a bit selective aren’t they.
what about comparisons …what was the wage rate of ferry staff ten years ago.
minimum wage in UK in 2012 for 21 years and over was £6.19, today it is £10.42 for over 23 years old. That is a 68% increase in the last decade.
so, ferry fares are only slightly ahead of the wage rate uplift over the same.period
ferry fares.went up because minimum wages went up, which means all other wage rates went up as well, to ensure more qualified staff aren’t being paid nearly the same as minimum wage staff
all relative and clearly obvious without the ferry bsshing from the media
To those voting down-please explain how wightlink and red funnel are supposed to pay the legal increases in minimum wages to staff and how do they ensure that more qualified personnel are paid a rate that is more than those on the newly increased minimum wage, which reflects their standing in the company without putting the ticket prices up. They do not receive taxpayer funding to run the business.
You know most of the crew ( the essential ones) aren’t on minimum wages, right?
Sure, the people who serve food and sell tickets aren’t well paid, but the mariners are paid the industry going rate. They have to be as, like most skilled jobs in post-Brexit Britain, there is a critical shortage.
Wightlink are currently advertising for a Chief Officer at £48k to £55k and a Master at “competitive pay”. Salary for a mere deckhand is £22k
While Wightlink and Red Funnel are, almost certainly, profiteering from their duopoly, It is leaving the EU that has pushed up wage costs more than the increases in the minimum wage.
you do realise that when you increase the minimum wage, you bring those on it, closer to those already on higher rates of pay due to their skill sets, experience and position. Those on those higher rates would then expect a pay rise to retain the “differential” in pay rates, which reflect their ability and skills over those on minimum wage.
leaving the EU has nothing to do with pushing up wage costs – it is the number of lying, lazy economically inactive deadbeats in this country, that won’t work, which create artificial staff shortages – cutting benefits is key to getting these layabouts back to work
You know that most skilled wages in the have been under the rate of inflation for the last 10 years, right?
You’re both right and talking about the same coin but from different sides.
Leaving EU means fewer skilled workers to choose from which means staff shortages which means higher wages required to lure workers left on the market. Inflation (of any wages, from minimum to skilled) is naturally adding to it. And then turning currently inactive people who are lazy due to benefits is not that easy. Even if we assume UK has some great benefits which, compared to Germany for example, it does not – and Germany is in much better situation re staff shortage due to being in EU. But even if believe that UK benefits are making people lazy, how many of them have predispositions required to go into skilled jobs? How long it will take to train? etc. etc.
87% in ten years, or 8.7% a year? I would class that as fairly acceptable.
I would however like to know where they get their figures from. The fact is it is a load of rubbish.
As a regular traveller with both companies, I have seen some of my fares DOUBLE in the last 2 years alone!
One particular trip in 2021 cost me £67 return. This year the same trip on the same weekend is costing me £135
return. Lets get that tunnel built.
Well it’s not really is it..i see shitelink want £120 one way the other day i went redfunnel for £52 day return..
Wightlink over the Easter weekend has cost them in excess of £250..i would’nt pay it ..luckily i can get £55 period return..funny how some compaies can get that rate and most of us goons have to pay £2/3 hundred ..
Criminal.
The most expensive Ferry Crossing in the world.
Keep away from it then.
second only to the floating bridge
Isle of man?
Just goes to prove they’ve been ripping us off for years, disgusting !!!
Well… douh, that’s private enterprise for you.
It should just be public transport run not for profit by the government to increase mobility of islanders… but UK is terrible at public transport currently and loves cars way too much to care most of the times. Only when ferries that transport, you guessed it, cars get expensive, only then lots of people suddenly care. At which point it’s too late, it’s all privatised already.
And I’m saying this as someone from the City: efficient transport is public transport, cheap and run for non profit from our taxes.
These companies unfortunately have a hold over travel to the island and do what they want, current service from red funnel is awful, staff want more wages, increased profits so up go the fares, lump it or don’t go, build that tunnel but it will never happen
staff want more wages
are you saying then dtothec that staff shouldn’t be paid more – why is that then? have their rents/mortgages/food bills/council tax/elecricity/water and gas not gone up.
Ever heard of a vicious circle? As previous comments already state they are not exactly on minimum wage are they, everybody needs a decent wage to live on unless they are one of the many work shy on the island but where does it all end?
Pay them £50ph but charge £500 for a return trip
If cost of living had increased this much then 75% of population would be homeless and needing food banks,no buying of car’s or paying for Internet/ mobiles etc. Crime so high police would be overwhelmed and we would be having national strikes etc. About time there was competition – state run ferry or maybe a fixed link of some description.
Well… obviously: good public transport is great for nation (and island in this case) mobility and prospects.
Which always baffled me why UK and IOW of all places isn’t voting in swaths for more public transport.
They are like two gangsters running a highly profitable cartel.Wightlink was able to give their staff a way above inflation pay rise earlier in the year which is running at over 10% whilst most other companies struggle during the cost of living crisis.And to top it all they run a poor service that does not even match the times of the train.Yet our MP fails to get involved.
No Sh*t, Sherlock.
All private enterprises for private profit.
We need a not-for-profit option. I don’t care if it’s legislation to force the existing operators to provide travel for Islanders “at cost” or another operator or fixed link operated on a not-for-profit basis.
These pirates are killing the Island.
You’re literally describing the concept of “public transport” though, nothing new 😉
Funnily how suddenly it gets many more supporters in Island Echo comments when it’s about moving their cars and not about buses/trains 😀
They aren’t pirates, they are capitalist. They are the good guys. You just want communism.
Pirates ….. no doubt about it!
I wanted to book a period return which unfortunately clashed with a school holiday for us to go on our annual holiday with our family. Silly me for thinking by booking months in advance it would be affordable. Red Funnel wanted close on £200 which, as pensioners, we couldn’t afford so I politely informed the young lady what they could do with their booking. I didn’t even try Wightlink as they are nearly always more expensive. Result – a cancelled much looked forward too family holiday. NATIONALISE the ferries. They are essential for the Island and the population.
clearly you can still afford a holiday though – so not that skint and if the cost of the isle of wight ferry is the deal breaker, then perhaps you should cut down on the rest of the holiday to cover the costs.
meanwhile those of us working, cannot afford a holiday, as we are paying high rents/mortgages and taxes to pay for the spongers on benefits
This is what happens when you sell a state own service to privet sectors.
Fun fact: taking a helicopter from Nice airport to Saint-Tropez during Easter holidays to humour yourself and avoid traffic is cheaper than Easter vehicle booking on Wightlink.
I know cause that’s where I’m going as I’m not posh enough to pay for Wightlink to then queue in Dorest. Just a bike to Red Jet, train to SOU and then a plane and heli for poor little me.
On the serious note: UK desperately needs competent and cheap public transport. Hopefully more and more people will realise this as cost of living strikes and will vote for politicians who prioritise this instead of building another highway. We need cheap and efficient trains, trams, buses and ferries at least on Italian/Swiss level, if not Dutch. Come on, we can do it!
*Dover of course, thanks iPhone who seems to think I always mean Dorset 😀
Surprise? Not to anyone who lives on the island of considers coming here.
Still with an election coming there will be lots of promises of pretend money flying around. Unfortunately, like the gold in fairy tales, it will all vanish the moment the election is over.
Not a shock, every year they go up and every year the users suffer because of the greed associated with these companies. They need to take a leaf out of the Scottish Highlands book as this is free, so why the massive price hikes every single year.
I’ll have a word with my mate Rishi. If they can get a tax break maybe they can pass that down to the customers. Dribble down economics at it’s best.
Braverman would claim for her fare on her extorninate expenses like she does
For her energy bills.
I thought we were all in it together.
More Tory ballsh*t
Don’t get me wrong, Labour ain’t no good either.
All politicians are money grabbers.
Train fares gone up as well.
So has fuel, and wages,
This surprises precisely no-one!