1 This week my wife & I travelled to the mainland to visit the grave of my wifes motherIt was an akward journey to the middle of Sussex It had to be by carOn trying to book with Wightlink for one day the cost came up on my screen at £91 After some difficulty I managed to get a price of £4550 for the 55 mile journey It is some time since I last had to cross with my car and then it cost nearer £30 than this new price which is a very large increaseThe tickets issued were called Open Return not Day Return I questioned this and was told they were open for 48hrs And they did not sell day tickets any more At no time was this made clear on any correspondence sent to meAt the terminal office I asked for a List of Crossing prices was given a printed sheet and after some walk back to my car noticed it was a list of crossing times nit a Tariff So at the moment I am none the wiserThis is reality and the huge cost involved in simply going anywhere off the IslandIf I was able to drive across a land link to Portsmouth the mainland as there is if I lived in Fortuneswell on the Isle of Portland it would cost me 55mx50pmcar running cost to drive to the mainland ie £275So I am paying a premium travel cost of 165 times to drive to the mainlandThis equation is replicated with different figures & end results for anyone or anything crossing to & from the mainland to the Isle of WightWhat this amounts to is like a tax burden on practically every cost for us to exist work and enjoy leisure on the IOWTo my mind this indicates that the market just doesnt work Of course it works in favour of the Ferry Operators whose balance sheets show untold millions in profitsWhy should it cost me more to travel more than a few miles from my front door to the mainland for any purpose because everyone doing the same but living on the mainland can do the same for a tiny fraction of the cost to meFor anyone who needs to commute to the mainland it is just what would be called a very short journey on the mainland but for us costs a totally disproportionate cost and cansequent reduction of disposable income standard mof living and stress both personal and on families concernedThe market just doesnt work in this situation It should be replaced by a public not for profit company so that the profit element is removed with consequent reduction in fare levels2 At least one additional freightvehicle ferry operationterminal would as all business people know make the competition for bookings more effeftive and could undoubtedly bring down fare pricesOn my belief that the ferry operators own their two major terminals Fishbourne and East Cowes which alone carry probably 75% of freightvehiclefoot traffic there is no prospect for other competition at these main terminals I my opinion it was utterly irresponsible to allow operators to own their terminals to the exclusion of any other operatorsI am aware that there have been proposals floated for new coast sited terminals but I consider the planning obstacles and prohibitive cost of such proposals make them all completely unrealisticIn my role as secretary to the Newport Harbour Action Group I am able to state that there is asiteeminently suitable for a major new freightvehiclebulk goods terminal at West Medina Mills on the west bank of the Medina River Estuary Dredging would be required some relatively minor site preparationsurfacing required and some relatively minor road works required All of which are a relatively small cost in comparison to a whole new coastal port with totally new extended infractructureThis site is owned by SEEDA who have written to us that they are not willing to restart boat trade to this existing quay part of Newport HarbourWe NHAGroup have also raised this with the IOW Council who have refused to even consider it It is a matter of record that the two main terminals are at any near peak time travel literally burating at the seams The ferry companies frequently use the approach roads to these terminals as waitng space for vehicles all with the aqiesence of the IOW Council the disruption and roadfacilities wear costed to us as tax payers And the IOW Councils own study on Cross Solent Traffic anticipates it will grow by up to 20% by 2020In their wisdomthe Council have very recently approved the final Draft of the Island Core Strategy for the emerging new Island Plan which states the Council does not see the need for any increase in ferry operators for the Cross Solent Link In addition Newport Harbour registered as a Municipal Port is not even mentioned in the Cors Strategy as a portIn my opinion all this is not just shortsighted it flies in the face of all facts concerning the crucial need to ensure a robust and secure supply line to & from the Mainland without which we cannot even exist on this Island that is without dire poverty hardship and starvationA new ferry terminal within Newport Harbour is very acheivable with political will and foresight and must be seriously considered following the results of this investigation3 I have tried to indicate that the provision of economical robust and secure preferably publicly controlled ferry supply lines to this Island is not just important it is our life here on the IOW And that does not mean at any cost because there are two potential and obvious solutions to control costs mentioned above Of course we could all draw in our aspirations dig for the IOW live solely on IOW produce etc etc but that is clearly not a serious option for any citizen of this countryThe above statement is made both on my own behalf my wifes behalf and that of the community organisation Newport Harbour Action Group of 60 membersSigned Christopher Dodd

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