The Isle of Wight council have today released details of their budget proposal for 2015/16.
As we have heard many times over the past four years, the council are facing significant cuts to the funding they receive from central Government and in turn need to find savings to their annual budgets.
One option, they say, to increase revenue in the coming years is to start charging foot passengers on the Cowes Floating Bridge. This forms part of the Annual Budget paper which goes to full council for approval later this month.
The new costs for foot passengers
It’s proposed that foot passengers will be charged 70p per return crossing, or 40p per return crossing if using a pre-paid smartcard.
Those under 18 will not be charged, the same applying to those who hold a pass for free concessionary travel on buses.
What of the ‘flawed calculations’
During a briefing with media earlier today, OnTheWight raised the concerns of what were dubbed ‘flawed calculations’ by councillors and pundits. The council had previously estimated they would raise over £400,000 income.
Managing Director of the council, Dave Burbage, confirmed today the estimated income figure had been adjusted to £160,000 for 2016/17.
What those surveyed thought
The proposal was made last year and followed by a public consultation.
According to the outcome of that public consultation, 71% of those surveyed felt there should be no charges for foot passengers.
Those surveyed who live outside Cowes/East Cowes had a different view on charging to those who live locally. 64 per cent believed foot passengers should be charged, compared to 27 percent of locals feeling the same.
72 per cent of non-users supported charging, compared to 28 per cent of users, but according to the papers released by the council, 74 per cent of floating bridge users were against charging for foot passengers or cyclists.
Article edit 16.22
“Return” added to costs per crossing.
Image: davidcjone under CC BY 2.0
