This vital link normally carries 7,000 passengers every day. During the current crisis, this has fallen to just 600 a day, most of them working at either the dockyard or for the NHS. 

Despite having reduced the service from two ferries to one, and having furloughed most of their staff, the ferry company has been losing over £150,000 a month and were threatened with having to close the service down.

As the leader of Portsmouth City Council, I have been joined by Mark Hook, the Leader of Gosport Borough Council, and Keith Mans, the Leader of Hampshire County Council, to negotiate with the Government for support for the ferry.

We have now secured a deal to keep the ferry going. The ferry company will absorb some of the losses, the Government will make a payment to the company and the three councils will also find around £45,000 a month during this time.

The ferry is an essential part of Portsmouth's public transport network. It prevents many people from bringing additional private cars into the city, helping in the fight to minimise air pollution and I'm pleased that action by Portsmouth City Council, working with others, has made this happen. 

Kind regards, Keep safe

Keep safe

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson
Leader. Portsmouth City Council