Criticism following fresh increase in price of tickets to use Gosport Ferry

A FRESH increase in the price of a ticket to use the Gosport Ferry has been met with criticism.
The Gosport FerryThe Gosport Ferry
The Gosport Ferry

The cost of the Portsmouth and Gosport route has gone up by 5p on an adult open return and 5p per trip on a 10-trip open return ticket – an increase of three per cent.

The company behind the route insists fare increases have been kept to a minimum – and the move follows a sharp increase in operating costs.

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That has come following the £3.2m purchase of a new boat, which was built in Croatia, lease costs for Gosport pontoon and staff wages, said to be the ‘largest cost’ and which ‘continue to increase each year’.

But residents and those who use the ferry service are not happy with the latest price rise.

Robin White is a student at Southampton Solent University, who lives in Gosport.

He said: ‘I’ve been moaning about the prices of tickets since I was about 12. Adult prices seem to go up by around 20p every eight months; I remember there was a big deal made about it a year ago when an adult ticket went over the £3 margin.

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‘One of my best friends lives in Gosport and gets the bus round to Fareham, then over to Portsmouth just to get to university, because that works out cheaper than the ferry.’

Alan Durrant, secretary for the Gosport Labour Party, said: ‘I think it’s an absolute disgrace, considering the workers haven’t had a pay rise in so long. The workers aren’t benefiting from it and the increases keep on happening. The hard-working people of Gosport don’t see their wages go up at the same rate.’

Councillor Mark Hook, leader of Gosport Borough Council, said: ‘Any increase in costs is important but I think three per cent is reasonable if it’s used to improve the facilities and services on offer.’

Deana Geary, landlady of The Junction Tavern, in Gosport, said: ‘I think people will just have to accept it – after all, prices for buses and trains go up much more than that.’

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