Jock Rafferty backed the rejection of proposed fare increases for the Cowes Floating Bridge after warning that higher charges could push passengers onto longer road journeys.
The Isle of Wight Council’s economy, regeneration, transport and infrastructure committee voted against the proposals on 6 October. They would have aligned passenger and vehicle fares with the Dartmouth Lower Ferry and introduced a £1 charge for under-19s travelling between 7pm and 7am.
The measures had been put forward for recommendation to the council committee responsible for budget setting. Their rejection means they will not proceed through that route as proposed, rather than amounting to a wider decision on the authority’s February 2027 budget.
Rafferty, the Labour councillor for Cowes North and a member of the transport committee, said pricing people off the service would not remove the need to travel. He warned that some passengers would instead drive around through Newport or stop making the journey.
Current Floating Bridge fares are between 50p and £1 for a single foot-passenger journey and between £2.50 and £3 for a car or small van. The rejected comparison fares were £2.50 for an adult single and £7.50 for a car or small van single.
The vote followed opposition from communities on both sides of the River Medina and from Cowes and East Cowes town councils. Officers had presented the options in the context of the Isle of Wight Council’s financial pressures and its receipt of Exceptional Financial Support.
