Wightlink has been forced to cancel 8 sailings on its Fishbourne-Portsmouth service tomorrow (Saturday) – the 2nd week in a row that the firm’s weekend service has been disrupted.
It’s said that the absence of an essential crew member means the 08:40, 10:40, 12:40 and 14:40 sailings from Portsmouth have been cancelled, alongside the 09:40, 11:40, 13:40 and 15:40 sailings from Fishbourne.
These are exactly the same crossings that were cancelled last Saturday, when an essential crew member was also unavailable. The same reason was given for cancellations on 24th September.
Wightlink sincerely apologises for the inconvenience, but says they have been unable to source short-notice cover for the absent members of staff and so have taken this action as a last resort.
Editor’s footnote: Although the 13:40 sailing from Fishbourne had been cancelled, it’s noted by this reporter that the 14:20 sailing last Saturday was quiet – with only around 15 vehicles waiting at the terminal at 13:40.
Wightlink has also announced that due to the absence of an essential crew member, there are a number of cancellations on the Fastcat service between Ryde Pier Head-Portsmouth Harbour on Sunday (15th October).
The 21:45 and 22:45 sailings from Portsmouth, and the 2:.52, 22:15 and 23:10 sailings from Ryde Pier Head have all been cancelled.
To assist impacted customers, a mini bus will operate between Ryde and Fishbourne from 21:00 to 23:30.
The footnote tells the story, I think.
It’s something some of us have been saying each time this happens.
As we see on our roads, pubs, nail bars, resturant fast food outlets, there is NOT a shortage of young people here, BUT there is a shortage of those people WILLING to work a full time job.
For almost all have a child or several.
So tax credits and now universal credit entitlement, allows them to ONLY work 16 hours per week, to then claim hundreds in benefits, AND free or heavily discounted rent and council tax.
So they KNOW they are better off doing just a few short hours, otherwise their money is reduced pound for pound in benefits from any extra they earn.
Hence what would YOU do, if you could work just 16 hours, then get more money, and less rent, and then all the extras such as free school meals, uniforms, or do full time
What about tarmac it and use electric buses?
Who wants to work thesedays!
All the taxes we pay is a joke and the wages
and working conditions on the island are
Shite compared to the mainland.
It’s wrong that you’re better off o tax credit but that’s are stupid government you should never be better off not working if you get a mortgage they won’t pay that but will pay rent ,weird
Well said. From what I read, it’s thousands, not hundreds. The entitled who expect to be kept by us, giving nothing in return.
But you have been ‘doing it’ for the last 28 years love…. think… engage before gob please. x
I thought the had to work St least 25 hours if you have school age children or be sanctioned. Some get away with it and I know a couple in their 30s that haven’t worked for years but get shed loads in benefits whereas my self after being self employed for a number of years and being single could not get anything for 3 months after having an op for bowel cancer and I was 63 at the time. Something wring somewhere
You’re talking so much mulch you could raise a field of corn.
have they tried the job centre
Short of staff at the weekend. Strange isn’t it….
Can’t fill the boats up again, cancelled to save some money……I do wish they would stop taking us for fools….
Where’s I Searle with the tarmac comments? Sorry, I forgot they only hate the train
Perhaps they could train there staff to multi task like a lot of successful companies do
Goodness me NO, the union’s would be out on strike within days.you cannot have one member of staff trained to do other roles.
Unions can’t go on strike until a ballot has been done to the workers, and that ballot meets the strict government guidelines. Once that is complete, any strike action must give 2 weeks notice. So yet again you have engaged your typing fingers without your brain. I reckon that you don’t have one
This company is a complete joke!!!
The real reason is – the current economic climate is affecting
many persons purse strings, therefore many people are not travelling,
hence less bookings and Wightlink are thinking of their own profits
by running less Ferry crossings.
Personally I am for a Bridge, that would solve the problem.
Local Numpty’s will never understand the advantage of having a bridge,
so I doubt it will ever happen.
(we can only dream)
Property prices would increase, wages would increase etc etc
It would be a win win for everyone.
Also better access to alternative Healthcare
Look get this through your thick head were is the bridge going to come in to. The roads and infrastructure could not manage this no town would want it .If you actually live here you don’t need to go to the mainland every day or week that’s why you live here idiot or is it because you have too homes that you need a bridge I wonder
Your grammar is so poor, that it has completely distracted me from any point you are attempting to express.
I am thinking of all the persons who have to attend
Hospital appointments on the mainland.
What with excessive Ferry fares and hardly any Ferry
Crossings it is no joke.
Services on the Island are a joke!
Planners cannot see that a bridge across the Medina to overcome the problem that everything must go through Coppins Bridge, what has been wasted on the FB and another £50,000 for a study , but then that takes attention away from the Ivory tower of County Hall
I live in Portsmouth and and thay built a motorway in its a joke lol and then built gunwharf quays lol its ruined pompy just greed awfull place to live now
Strange.Most companies have staff shortages during the summer months… what, with holidays,schools etc..but not Wightlink.That’s when they hike prices and pack em in.Plenty of staff then!
Fair mate fair
They seem to be helping red funnel, eventually we won’t need wight link
I notice that the only job vacancy that Wightlink have is for a Chief Officer so is this the position that is causing all these ferries to be cancelled. If so, and at a salary offer of £ 48,000 to £ 55,000 per year I would have thought ttere would be a rush to ” get aboard “. There must be more behind this surely ?
It’s not short notice cover as the same thing happened last weekend so they should be prepared for such incidents. Does it look like we all have fools written across our foreheads . I just hope noone is stranded because of their incompetency
On a practical note, it’s very important that those wishing to make a booking should stick to those scheduled ‘on the hour’. The current car ferry timetable from Fishbourne/Portsmouth is a complete con, and has no practical credibility. The excuses for cancellations are, of course, utter nonsense. Only those scheduled for ‘on the hour’ crossings are likely to go ahead. All others will be subject to cancellation at short notice. The excuses will continue, but will be, as is the way of Wightlink, completely false, and merely reflect the lack of reservations.
This never used to happen.
We should ask our PM for the tunnel. I’m sure he knows where there is tunnel equipment going cheap and plenty of labor to support it. HS2 has plenty spare.
I’m at Fishbourne about to board the 13:00 and there is only 1 lane of traffic so it’s clearly not a staff issue. It would interesting to see if it happens on the 3 Saturdays over the 2 week half term. Something tells me not.
Expensive Ferry fares are the problem.
Just not good enough, this is a service that needs to be 100% reliable for the public either that or reduce the cost of travel to compensate the shoddy service these joke of a ferry company’s provide to the general public
” Sorry, I can’t come in, I’ve got a hangover”…..
As an island, why don’t we all get together and protest against wightlink? There’s only one sly person to blame (Keith Greenfield). Wightlink need to wake up, and so too the government that it’s a infrastructure company, not a cruise line. You can’t chop, cut and alter sailings as and when you want. Look at the new timetable from January for the Yarmouth route, it’s a pure shambles. What’s the point of the 7am ferry as the earliest? How are we meant to get to work at a reasonable time?
F**k you all..from Wightlink
££££££ loads of money off you mugs
Wightlink should now pay compensation to the customers for any cancellations , the 14.20 was canceelled over lack of cutsomers
How is this allowed to happen?? pathetic and shite