Last week OnTheWight was able to seek answers to some of our readers’ questions about the new waiting times on Ryde Pier due to be introduced from Tuesday 26 June 2018.
The new rules slash the waiting time from one hour to 20 minutes. wh
Are taxi drivers excluded from new rules?
Isle of Wight taxi drivers, who often pick up passing trade at the pier head – passengers wanting to take a taxi rather than walk to the taxi rank on the dry end of the pier – have expressed concerns to OnTheWight about the new waiting time rules.
One taxi driver told us,
“Potential customers, unless pre-booked, will be left with very little choice but to use the railway or walk down the pier, this is not always practical for less able bodied people.”
Wightlink: “Ryde Pier is not a taxi rank”
We agreed to ask some questions on behalf of the taxi drivers and Wightlink provided the following responses.
Q: Will taxi drivers be exempt from the 20 minute waiting rule?
A spokesperson for Wightlink replied,
“The 20 minute waiting time will apply to all vehicles (not motorbikes or bicycles).
“Ryde Pier is not a taxi rank. Taxi drivers make their way up the pier from the rank at the Esplanade to pick up booked customers.”
What happens when FastCat delayed?
Q: What happens if a driver enters the pier to pick someone up and the boat is late – making them run over the 20 mins?
Wightlink responded,
“Wightlink’s FastCats are reliable and run on time. In May 2018, 99.2% of the timetabled services operated on schedule (reliability) and 97.4% departed on time (punctuality).
“Customers can sign up for latest updates on sailings via email and text message, Wightlink’s website and the Wightlink App show the service status of all vessels so drivers can find out if there are any delays to services before they set out to the pier.
“The ANPR camera will be at the ‘wet end’ of the pier so the time taken to drive up the pier isn’t included in the 20 minute waiting time.
Minimum parking ticket
Q: Will a minimum of one hour parking via a ticket be available?
A spokesperson for Wightlink replied,
“If drivers want to stay on the pier beyond 20 minutes, it costs £1.70 to park for up to two hours.”
They also added,
“We will review how the new system is operating and adjust it if required.”
