A cross-Solent ferry operator’s ‘exorbitant dynamic pricing’ has been criticised for ‘hurting residents’ and ‘impacting local businesses’.
Freshwater Parish Council (FPC) this week passed Councillor Warren Whyte’s motion requesting an update from Wightlink on the steps it is taking to end the pricing strategy and make the Yarmouth/Lymington crossing ‘more affordable’.
Dynamic pricing involves quickly and often adjusting prices in response to demand, according to the government’s Competition and Markets Authority.
Ferry company “happy to meet”
Wightlink has in response said it would be “more than happy” to meet with FPC to discuss feedback from local residents.
Parish councillors also agreed to write to Wightlink to ‘raise concerns’ about the ‘lack of advertising’ of its public meetings.
Not informed of ‘community’ event
Councillor Whyte told members the company had not let FPC know of a Yarmouth ‘community’ event it held in the Spring.
His motion says,
“Freshwater Parish Council write to Wightlink to raise concerns about the lack of advertising of their public meetings and to request that Freshwater Parish Council is notified of future events.
“Wightlink is also requested to update the parish council on what steps it is taking to make the Yarmouth/Lymington crossing more affordable and end the exorbitant “dynamic pricing” that is hurting residents and impacting our local businesses – particularly tourism and those needing specialist materials or labour from the mainland.”
Events promoted through newsletters and social media
A Wightlink spokesperson said,
“We haven’t yet received any communication from FPC but we are more than happy to meet with them to discuss feedback from local residents.
“We welcome engagement with the community and already work closely with many individuals, groups and organisations including the Solent Transport User Group (STUG), Isle of Wight MPs and other partners such as NHS groups, the IW Youth Trust and local education partners and have made changes as a direct result of their feedback.
“We host Meet the Team events every three months across the Island and dates are always published on our website, sent out in our regular emails to Island residents who are subscribed and promoted on our social media channels.
“Though these have been well-attended, we appreciate the feedback and will do even more to promote these events in the future.”
Opposition to dynamic pricing
STUG (Solent Transport Users Group), a campaigning organisation that advocates for ‘improved cross-Solent ferry services’, said FPC has its ‘full support’.
A spokesperson said,
“FPC’s first responsibility is to its parishioners, and clearly one of the greatest impacts on them is the frequency, reliability and cost of the ferry service.
“It is vital that Wightlink engage fully with the community they are serving to understand the challenges caused by their dislocation from the mainland.
“STUG has consistently opposed the practice of dynamic pricing on all our lifeline ferry services and has led the way in campaigning against it.
“The ‘Islanders’ Charter’ published in December 2024 and signed up to by the leader of the council and both our MPs, has also clearly opposed it.”
They went on to quote the Charter,
“The dynamic pricing models currently in place must be independently evaluated to determine whether there are discriminatory practices against Island residents and businesses.
“If this is found, it should be addressed without price increases to standard fares.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
