Wightlink apologise over 'poor reliability'

An Isle of Wight ferry boss has agreed to meet with a town council after complaints the ‘poor service’ had had a negative impact on the town.

Earlier this month, former mayor of Yarmouth, Cllr Steve Cowley called on Wightlink’s chief executive Keith Greenfield to meet with the town council and explain the issues its ferry crossing had faced.

In recent weeks, the Yarmouth to Lymington crossing has been affected by a lack of crew and mechanical breakdowns which caused cancellations and gaps in the timetable.

Cllr Cowley said the town council wanted the discussion with Mr Greenfield to better understand “what on earth they were up to”.

He said: “It’s having a negative impact on Yarmouth and its business, you cannot come over for a day because you don’t know whether you can go back or not. People cannot rely on it.”

An invitation was issued to Mr Greenfield which has since been accepted.

A Wightlink spokesperson said he would be happy to discuss the service as soon as possible, but had been advised by Yarmouth Town Council they would prefer him to attend one of the monthly meetings.

While Mr Greenfield cannot make the December 6 meeting, the spokesperson said he can be at the following one on January 3, 2023.

The spokesperson said Wightlink was acutely aware of the issues and apologised for the poor reliability of the Yarmouth route in recent weeks.

The crew vacancies have been difficult to fill they say, but a recruitment process was started, appointments made and training is almost completed which will “significantly improve the reliability of the service.”