Wightlink is increasing the cost of its Multilink Vehicle Pass fares again, with the cross-Solent operator partially blaming the Labour Government’s National Insurance contributions hike for the change.
Increasing operational costs are also being attributed to the price hike, which will see the average price per crossing go up by £3.25. It will be the second price increase this year, following a hike back in January.
At the moment, 10 singles for a standard car costs £365 – but it’s thought that the price is going up by around 10%. The new price is expected to be over £400, which will make a return crossing around £80.
Multilink Foot Passenger Passes and Season Tickets are not affected. However, Island Echo is told that the cost of 16 hours of parking at Ryde Pier Head is increasing by £2.50.
Islanders still have time to top up their Multilink Vehicle Pass at the current rate, but must do so before the changes come into effect on Monday 14th April.
Wightlink has also confirmed that up to 3 adults from the same household can now share one Vehicle Pass. Payment can be split across 3 interest-free instalments using PayPal, and customers renewing with 20 crossings or more will receive discount vouchers for friends and family, including those living on the mainland.
A new Island Link brochure will be delivered to every home on the Isle of Wight next month – the third in the past year – highlighting additional savings on ferry travel.
Meanwhile, from next Monday (7th April), Wightlink’s Discounted Fares scheme will be extended to include Islanders in receipt of Universal Credit. It is already available to those on Council Tax support and Housing Benefit.
Katy Taylor, Chief Executive of Wightlink, says:
“This is not a decision that has been taken lightly as we understand the impact this will have on our customers.
“Our first duty as an operator is to provide lifeline services to Island residents which is why our Multilink ticket price changes have been kept below inflation for more than a decade. However, in common with businesses across the UK, we are now facing increased operational costs, driven partially by the rise in National Insurance Contributions, meaning we are having to make changes to ticket pricing. This will ensure we are able to continue to pay our staff fairly and provide the reliable services expected of us.
“Multilink still represents great value for money for Island residents. I am committed to working with them to better understand what more Wightlink can do to support them and their communities.”
Wouldn’t have this problem with a
Bridge or Tunnel.
Give it up..move on…
If fares can be discounted for persons on
benefits, surely they can be discounted
for everyone.
It seems to be persons getting various help,
keep getting help.
Whilst us customers paying full fares are
subsidizing those on benefits.
So benefit scroungers get reduced fares, but hard working people do not. I know how about keeping the fares low for a bloody start. Yeah I know Wightlink have debtors to pay off and bonuses to pay the directors, so just stick the middle finger up at working people, typical.
If full paying customers boycotted the Ferries
they wouldn’t be able to subsidise the free loaders
Benefit ‘scroungers’? Did you mean poor people? I can help you with that. There are currently 7.5 millions UC claimants. Roughly 1/3rd of those on UC are working people who don’t earn enough to survive. Roughly half are ‘no work requirement’, ie, disabled, sick etc. (Poverty doesn’t improve that.) The rest are those looking for work…and there is a checkable requirement that they do so. 50% of all claimants have children. Who out of those groups is a scrounger in your privileged and entitled world of clearly enough for your needs?
You will also find that many people scrounging benefits are far far better off than people working 35+ hours a week. I am not privileged nor entitled, I work, and I am sick and tired of these “poor” people bragging about how they are screwing the system to get more and more benefits. Also we the tax payer should not be forking out for more and more “mental health” help for all these made up conditions too.
Sorry, but this is utter nonsense. Minimum wage is now £25,400 per year for a 40 hour week. That is a take home pay of circa £1820/month. If a family of 2 can’t survive on £3640/month then they are living well beyond their means.
Yet curiously their dividends are also increasing, in spite of the rises always deemed ‘operational costs’.
Absolutely ripping people off.I hate that company and what’s its doing to this Island.
Where are you MP’s of the IOW,few waffling words when you got voted in now nothing,must of received your free book of 10 crossings I guess
all full of shit and get cheap fares and backhanders..
Thanks £200 a trip isn’t enough..poor loves how do they operate on such small fares..
Wow. I’ve never heard of deductions for those on benefits?
Or the disabled?
Would that make any difference to the multilink costs now at £400 for 10 SINGLE sailings?
Even the working cannot afford to lay out this sort of money installments or not. And not everyone uses paypal.
Benefit scroungers? What decade did this term hail from? Are you actually Alf Garnett Irish K Anus?