Members of the Wightlink Users Group will be demonstrating in the heart of Newport on Wednesday morning to coincide with the Islands Forum, which is to be hosted by Michael Gove, the Levelling Up secretary.
The group have asked to be represented at the Forum, however, they have not managed to get a seat at the table, despite this being an event designed for communities. Apparently, ferries are not relevant to this meeting; according to an Office of Fair Trading report on 2009, the Island does not have issues with the privately owned Wightlink company.
These misconceptions have driven many to petition the government, the Island’s MP and to join the group of like minded people who are suffering from what they believe are extortionate fares.
The demographics mostly affected include the elderly, relatives of the elderly who cannot afford to see parents on the Island, the low paid, the young and those who need NHS and medical care off the Island as the hospital here is small and cannot cater for many cancers etc.
Wightlink, year on year, profit enormously- with £50million given to shareholders over a recent 4-year period.
The protest will be taking place on Wednesday 24th May at 08:15 in Newport – with other action also planned.
Hope the protest will go well, for far to long the ferry companies have held the island to ransom with over inflated prices. To be honest it is literally daylight robbery. I don’t see bungling bob being bothered about helping out as he is to interested in playing with his pussies (the savannah cats) not his best buddies in government. But Gove won’t listen to the protests at all, he is a tory don’t forget. Good luck.
Such a shame that these people just don’t appreciate the good work that Mikey is doing in leveling down communities across the country. Bringing in stupid social issues such as ‘extortionate ferry prices’ should hopefully be just a minor distraction from our silver spoon comparison contest.
wightlink user group – you lot live on the island and work on the mainland because it is cheaper to live here – suck it up or move back to the mainland and pay the much higher house prices or rentals.
as for others you mention – senior tickets are £19.80 on the cat – stop whining that isn’t expensive. You don’t think twice about paying over £50 a month for a mobile phone or over £50 a month for your internet, as well as your alcohol intake, yet you gripe about a charge to use a ferry service.
get over it and stop whining.
when I was unemployed, I accepted the fact that a number of things were out of my budget, such as travelling virtually anywhere – guess what – i got a job, worked hard and can now afford to travel anywhere
So because I want better transport links I have to move my business and my family away? Are you insane? And the island is not cheaper to do business or to live, unless you’re a benefits scrounge, like you!
transport links are just fine – they publish a timetable and you plan accordingly – it isn’t difficult is it
if you cannot handle island life then move fready
Nothing wrong with current transport links. Try moving to the mainland and paying regular train fares for your commute. You are in for some shock. You have it so easy on the island.
I bet four or five people turn up for this “protest”. Entitled islanders who think they should have a free ferry service that they will hardly ever use.
Why are so many Islanders backward.
Where would the Island be without mainland brains.
Who saves many Islanders lives.
Mainland Hospitals not the Numpty IW staffed Hospital.
I personally find Islanders racial to Overners, obviously their lack of education is
too blame.
So sad.
St Mary’s is not a university hospital, all those “Numpty staff” you refer too were trained on the mainland and worked in those hospitals, whos the Numpty now?
“obviously their lack of education is
too blame”.
Hahaha, you couldn’t make it up could you…
Get real… phone £5 p/m. Internet £29 p/m
phone £5 a month – what are you using an old 90’s housebrick with no screen
How dare you say that. I live on the Island, work on the Island and like to visit my family on the mainland.
I don’t drink alcohol, I pay a small £12 for my mobile phone being the only way I now have to communicate with my family.
Despite the fact that I am retired, having worked hard all my life, I have now got a job to supplement my income.
I am retired and live on a pension with a very tight budget. Extremely judgemental and unreasonable of you to be so rude by making assumptions about my lifestyle and the way in which I spend my paltry income,
The ferry prices are extortionate and should be recognised as such.
stop whining, the oh woe is me stance is boring.
you have a job and a pension – so the occasional trip isn’t out of reach then
the ferry fares are not extortionate – £19.80 round trip is reasonable in todays markets
Gove couldn’t organise a p*ss up in a Brewery.
Another useless Tory ****er!
Go for it! We all as islanders need to be less accepting and more confronting of those that hold our lives, livelihoods and general day to day existence in their hands. No taxation without representation. Ferrys are a form of tax after all, and this visit, and the exclusion of this group shows its just a P.R stunt.
no, ferries provide the facility for you to cross a stretch of water without swimming it. For that convenience you must pay a charge, which goes towards the running costs and the staff who voluntarily sell some of their time at an hourly rate to make it all happen.
without the ferry you can either swim or stay on the island.
Clowns like you are the problem. I have no problems with companies making profit but to make that profit they should run a reliable affordable service. Neither ferry companies do this. Instead they hold the average person to ransom, offer a poor service and charge the earth for it. All whilst getting tax payer subsidies and paying enormous dividends. Now tell me there is nothing wrong.
no one is held to ransom – you can always leave whenever the timetable says a ferry is running.
higher priced ferries prevent the filth and squalor turning up here en masse, instead of in dribs and drabs as they do now.
the ferries act as a natural barrier to the unwanted on the island – long may it continue
The ferries are not expensive. You lot are living in the 1980s. Take a look at your grocery bill and do the maths. Prices have gone up since Thatcher was PM.
Can’t wait to see the photos of this “protest”. Did any of this lot bother to turn up?