Festival Departure Plan Released By Isle of Wight Council

Preparing to board Red Funnel on Sunday

By Contributed Sun, 24 June 2012 12:34PM

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Detailed plans are in place to keep transport and people moving as the Isle of Wight Festival comes to a close today (Sunday).

A key feature of the plan involves controlling departures from the campsite, particularly during the main commuter time of 7.30am-9am on Monday morning, to help residents travel as freely as possible.

The festival camp sites will be monitored between these times so traffic does not overwhelm the road network.

The step is just one agreed as event organisers continue to work with agencies including the police, Isle of Wight Council and transport operators to prevent the congestion encountered at the start of the event at Seaclose Park, Newport.

Other steps include arranging a fleet of more than 100 4X4 vehicles to help festival traffic leave the camping site.

All transport companies are reporting increased activity as festival goers are apparently leaving the site early and amending their travel plans.

Wightlink is running an enhanced timetable today and tomorrow on the Fishbourne to Portsmouth car ferry and the Ryde to Portsmouth catamaran.

Red Funnel terminal operations manager Darren Button said there were currently no issues affecting crossings. Extra sailings would be in operation from this evening into Monday and customers are advised to check the website below.

Paul Hartigan Southern Vectis general manager said: “We are working closely with organisers, the police and the council to get people on and off site and to the ferry terminals as quickly as possible. We are doing this in a way that does not affect the network and the school lift will operate tomorrow (Monday) as scheduled.”

Stuart Love, IW Council director of economy and the environment, said: “As you can imagine this is a constantly evolving situation but I can assure residents and festival go-ers that all agencies we are working together to implement arrangements designed to keep disruption to minimum.

“Regulating movement from the car parks – including those established at Brickfields and Robin Hill on Friday – should mean that the situation today and Monday will be very different to that on Thursday and Friday when the congestion was unacceptable.”

Chief Inspector Nick Heelan, local police commander, said: “Getting people home safely and returning the local roads and community to normality as quickly as we can is our priority.

“We have extra officers drafted in from the mainland today to work with marshals to keep traffic moving.
“We are working very closely with the council and other agencies to minimise disruption, and have every resource available doing everything possible to keep people safe and moving.

Residents are advised to monitor local media or the websites below for the latest information. Inspector Paul Savill will also be giving live updates on IW Radio’s breakfast show from 6am tomorrow.