Karen shares this latest news on behalf of Wightlink. Ed
From Tuesday, 18 April 2017, all Wightlink ferries and catamarans will be smoke-free areas.
The ferry company has taken this decision on safety and health grounds, following a fire on an outside deck of the Portsmouth-Fishbourne car ferry St Faith in January 2017. An investigation into the incident found that the fire started in a cigarette bin on an outside deck.
Wightlink Chief Executive Keith Greenfield says:
“We’ve been considering this policy for some months especially as most other public transport is smoke free. But the recent fire on St Faith, which started in a cigarette bin on an outside deck, confirmed that we should move forward and become a smoke free ferry service. We know that our customers will enjoy a healthier, safer and cleaner service as a result.”
Smoke before and after
All Wightlink’s cross-Solent sailings are very short and passengers only spend around half an hour on board ship relaxing before disembarking. People can always smoke before they get on board and after they leave the ship.
Wightlink will support staff who would like to take this opportunity to give up the habit.
