Campaigners call for Cross-Solent travel to be subsidised
The government is under increasing pressure to intervene on the cost of cross Solent travel
Campaigners argue the Isle of Wight's ferries represent a critical lifeline but are ill-suited to unregulated private ownership.
Ian Wellby, a prominent campaigner from Whitwell, has called on Parliament to investigate the Island’s ferry companies, arguing cross Solent travel represents a critical lifeline service ill-suited to unregulated private ownership.
In a submission to the Transport Select Committee’s call for evidence, he outlined the adverse impact of poor cross-Solent connectivity on Islanders, highlighting issues ranging from limiting access to specialist mainland healthcare treatment through to poor inter-connectivity with the national rail network.
The submission also stressed that high fares and irregular services are holding back the Island’s economy, citing problems such as expensive and slow business deliveries through to people traveling to and from work who rely on a regular service often being let down.
He notes that in 2020, government tacitly recognised the importance of cross-Solent transport via direct subsidy in exchange for minimum service guarantees, and suggests that further government invention is required to deliver a higher level service, more in line with subsidised Scottish island ferry provision.
Ian’s submission follows a request made in December 2020 by Conservative MP Bob Seely and the then Isle of Wight Council Leader Cllr Dave Stewart calling on the then Union Connectivity Review to investigate cross-Solent travel.
Commenting on his submission to the Select Committee, Ian said: "Islanders are the victim of a botched privatisation leaving cross-Solent transport exclusively in the hands of private companies providing services entirely at their own discretion, without any public service obligation typically associated with lifeline infrastructure.
"This has resulted in the high ticket prices, lack of winter services and the poor railway connectivity we suffer from today.
Poor cross-Solent travel is also holding back Island businesses, with issues ranging from expensive and slow business deliveries through to declining late-night hospitality demand, all linked to poor cross-Solent services.
Whichever way you look at it – the Island gets a bad deal versus other regions of the UK. Scottish ferries are subsidised (through the Barnett formula) by the UK Government, with fares kept low via a “Road Equivalent Pricing” structure, whilst patients travelling to the mainland from the Isles of Scilly have their fares capped to just £5.
Our problems won’t be solved via complaints and petitions alone – we also need meaningful intervention from the highest level.
I therefore hope the Transport Select Committee will now listen to our concerns and investigate the imposition of a public service obligation on cross Solent travel, and finally deliver the meaningful long-term improvement in connectivity Islanders deserve".