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Town could be left with no ferry route
A HAMPSHIRE ferry service used by thousands of passengers every year is unlikely to be replaced if Wight-link pulls out, the Daily Echo can reveal.
Rival operator Red Funnel says it is not interested in taking over the Lymington to Yarmouth route which is at the centre of a row over plans to introduce larger ferries.
Wightlink has threatened to axe the service if permission for the new boats is refused.
Red Funnel, which operates a Southampton to East Cowes ferry service, is unlikely to breach the gap.
A company spokesman said: "Red Funnel views Southampton as the natural gateway to the Isle of Wight and is fully committed to growing and enhancing its existing services."
Wightlink's new ferries, currently being built in Croatia, will displace almost twice as much water as the existing ones.
Campaigners claim that the 1,496-ton ships will damage environmentally sensitive parts of the Lymington River as well as posing a hazard to other vessels.
New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne said: "If what some people are saying is correct, this looks like a disaster waiting to happen. People are very wise to get agitated and pursue the matter through a public meeting."
Asked about Wightlink's threat to withdraw the service Mr Swayne said: "Communities should not be threatened in that way. This sort of posturing is unhelpful - a more measured, cool-headed approach is needed.
"The Lymington River is very important from the yachting and recreational point of view and is also an important commercial avenue to the Isle of Wight.
"We've got to find a way of making sure that the community wins and that might take a bit of give and take on both sides."
In a letter to Mr Swayne, Wightlink's chief executive, Andrew Willson confirms that almost 200 jobs will be lost if the company scraps its Lymington to Yarmouth service.
The letter says the current ferries are 34 years old and nearing the end of their useful lives.
It adds: "Without the introduction of the new ferries the route would inevitably have to be closed down, which would have a detrimental affect on the economies of Lymington and Yarmouth.
"It would also be disastrous for the travelling public."
The letter says any larger wash from the new ferries could be overcome by reducing speed.
The public meeting will be held at Lymington Community Centre on October 31 at 7.30pm.
9:00am Saturday 13th October 2007
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CommentPosted by: Garry Trestump, Southampton on 10:31am Sat 13 Oct 07
I hear a strong rumour that another company, not currently serving the IOW, is interested in taking over the route should Wightlink stand aside.
As they are renowned for undercutting the competition in their current field of trasportation one can only conclude that the extra cometition would in fact be a good thing.
Watch this space, as they say..
I hear a strong rumour that another company, not currently serving the IOW, is interested in taking over the route should Wightlink stand aside.
As they are renowned for undercutting the competition in their current field of trasportation one can only conclude that the extra cometition would in fact be a good thing.
Watch this space, as they say..
Posted by: gorf, soton on 11:45am Sat 13 Oct 07
i dont see why red funnel dont take it up and do a few trips a day?
even if they dont give the same service as what is there at the moment?
with these bigger ferries the lymington roads wouldnt be able to cope with all the extra traffic!
i dont see why red funnel dont take it up and do a few trips a day?
even if they dont give the same service as what is there at the moment?
with these bigger ferries the lymington roads wouldnt be able to cope with all the extra traffic!
Posted by: Robert, Regent's Park, So'ton on 12:05pm Sat 13 Oct 07
From one angle this is a public v private issue. And we all know what the outcome of such issues tends to be nowadays.
[italic]Switching the tone:[/italic]
If any chavs come down from Southampton you could perhaps get the ferry to take them across, then they'd have to beg the yachties and the Hurray Henries to give them a lift back.
From one angle this is a public v private issue. And we all know what the outcome of such issues tends to be nowadays.
Switching the tone:
If any chavs come down from Southampton you could perhaps get the ferry to take them across, then they'd have to beg the yachties and the Hurray Henries to give them a lift back.
Posted by: keith, TEST VALLEY home of the MIGHTY SANDRA GIDLEY on 5:07pm Sat 13 Oct 07
[quote][bold]Garry Trestump[/bold] wrote:
I hear a strong rumour that another company, not currently serving the IOW, is interested in taking over the route should Wightlink stand aside. As they are renowned for undercutting the competition in their current field of trasportation one can only conclude that the extra cometition would in fact be a good thing. Watch this space, as they say..[/quote] AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, BRING ON THE CROSS CHANNEL HOVERCRAFTS.
Garry Trestump wrote:
I hear a strong rumour that another company, not currently serving the IOW, is interested in taking over the route should Wightlink stand aside. As they are renowned for undercutting the competition in their current field of trasportation one can only conclude that the extra cometition would in fact be a good thing. Watch this space, as they say..
AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, BRING ON THE CROSS CHANNEL HOVERCRAFTS.
Posted by: Big Boy, Hythe on 5:37pm Sat 13 Oct 07
The Ferries are sopposed to go slowly through the harbour anyway! As soon as they are running a little behind schedule then they do not slow to the correct speed. Wightlink prioritize their schedule above any environmental damage or safety hazards to other users. I do not believe that the wightlink management team are the correct people to run this route.
The Ferries are sopposed to go slowly through the harbour anyway! As soon as they are running a little behind schedule then they do not slow to the correct speed. Wightlink prioritize their schedule above any environmental damage or safety hazards to other users. I do not believe that the wightlink management team are the correct people to run this route.
Posted by: Bus Driver, Southampton on 6:35pm Sat 13 Oct 07
[quote][bold]Garry Trestump[/bold] wrote:
I hear a strong rumour that another company, not currently serving the IOW, is interested in taking over the route should Wightlink stand aside. As they are renowned for undercutting the competition in their current field of trasportation one can only conclude that the extra cometition would in fact be a good thing. Watch this space, as they say..[/quote] That was the offer when WHITE HORSE ferries took over from General Estates,, on the HYTHE FERRY..
But just look what happened to that service, it's so run down now it's almost criminal
Garry Trestump wrote:
I hear a strong rumour that another company, not currently serving the IOW, is interested in taking over the route should Wightlink stand aside. As they are renowned for undercutting the competition in their current field of trasportation one can only conclude that the extra cometition would in fact be a good thing. Watch this space, as they say..
That was the offer when WHITE HORSE ferries took over from General Estates,, on the HYTHE FERRY..
But just look what happened to that service, it's so run down now it's almost criminal
Posted by: Robert on 12:05am Sun 14 Oct 07
That's all very well, Garry, but you can take a White Horse [italic]anywhere.[/italic]
That's all very well, Garry, but you can take a White Horse
anywhere. Posted by: Derek, Dibden Purlieu on 1:44pm Sun 14 Oct 07
They'll all be sorry when a huge orange ship with 'Easy-Ferries' painted on the side, goes steaming down the river....
They'll all be sorry when a huge orange ship with 'Easy-Ferries' painted on the side, goes steaming down the river....
Posted by: Robert Adley, Lymington on 5:54pm Sun 14 Oct 07
I despair when I see the kind of idiotic comments such as that posted by my successor Desmond Swayne - a man clearly out of the Julian Lewis "I'll say anything if you'll vote for me" mould. So Swayne is more or less saying that any outrageous unfounded or hysterical comment should immediately be cause for a public enquiry "if it's true" Well what if it isn't eh? Swayne is saying that rather than putting up evidence to support a contention, it is merely enough to agitate and scaremonger. When I was MP I would have got to the bottom of the facts myself, and then been in a position to inform and reconcile. And I was a trasnport expert to boot. Sadly though I'm dead.
I despair when I see the kind of idiotic comments such as that posted by my successor Desmond Swayne - a man clearly out of the Julian Lewis "I'll say anything if you'll vote for me" mould. So Swayne is more or less saying that any outrageous unfounded or hysterical comment should immediately be cause for a public enquiry "if it's true" Well what if it isn't eh? Swayne is saying that rather than putting up evidence to support a contention, it is merely enough to agitate and scaremonger. When I was MP I would have got to the bottom of the facts myself, and then been in a position to inform and reconcile. And I was a trasnport expert to boot. Sadly though I'm dead.
Posted by: linzy, havant on 10:52pm Sun 14 Oct 07
If red funnel took over the wightlink route at least you would know you would be getting a good service, maybe they could use the current wightlink boats.
If red funnel took over the wightlink route at least you would know you would be getting a good service, maybe they could use the current wightlink boats.
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