Coronavirus: £1.5 Million A Month To Keep Isle Of Wight Ferries Afloat

Friday, 24 April 2020 15:57

£1.5 million a month will be given to the Isle of Wight's cross-Solent ferry operators to help them through the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement today (Friday) from the Department for Transport means the firms will be given £1.5 million from April to June. It has been welcomed by the MP for the Isle of Wight and the leader of the Isle of Wight Council. Council leader, Councillor Dave Stewart, said: “The ferry operators serving the Island have made enormous efforts to ensure lifeline services are maintained during these very difficult times – and I am very pleased to see that the government has recognised this through crucial financial support. “The operators have been working closely and in a co-ordinated fashion alongside our transport infrastructure board and with the crucial support and help of our MP. The co-operation and dialogue involving all parties and with the government has played a key part in achieving this support and national acknowledgment. I would particularly like to thank the ferry operators, MP Bob Seely and board chairman Christopher Garnett for all their work on behalf of Islanders. “I would also like to remind people of the message that all travel should only be for essential journeys unless for work if you can’t stay at home.” Transport infrastructure board chairman, Christopher Garnett, added: “This funding will be provided to the council to allocate to Red Funnel, Wightlink and Hovertravel – and is based around the latest revised timetable of services announced recently. “It will serve to further support and underpin the maintenance of effective and robust services to the Island at this critical and challenging time. It also recognises the enormous efforts the ferry operators, their management teams and staffs have made during these past few weeks – both in continuing to provide services and in working tirelessly and very closely for the benefit of Island residents and businesses.” MP for the Isle of Wight Bob Seely said: “This deal will ensure supplies of essential food and medicine will continue, that urgent medical treatment can be accessed by those who need it and key workers can continue to come to St Mary’s and other sites. "I am grateful to Ferries Minister, Kelly Tolhurst, for engaging in numerous conversations with me on cross-Solent travel over the past few weeks, as well Treasury ministers for signing off this support package. "I would like to reassure Islanders that this does not mean that visitors will now be coming to the Island. It means that cross-Solent ferry operators can maintain a lifeline service which also meets the requests of the IOW NHS Trust.”