Car toll for Ryde Pier to be scrapped

A £1.30 toll is currently charged for vehicles accessing the pier

A toll to drive on to one of the country's oldest piers is to be abolished, ferry operator Wightlink has announced.

Drivers currently pay £1.30 to access Ryde Pier on the Isle of Wight before taking the FastCat passenger service to Portsmouth.

Ticket prices will be raised by 50p instead. Wightlink said the move would reduce traffic congestion.

The 207-year-old listed structure costs around £250,000 a year to maintain.

Wightlink said the supplement of 50p on standard ticket prices would replace the toll from Wednesday.

Chief Executive Keith Greenfield said "Abolishing the toll and removing the barrier will reduce delays for people wanting to drive up to the FastCat terminal, making for an easier journey especially for commuters."

The 680m (2,200ft) pier is one of the main gateways to the Isle of Wight, with Island Line trains also running its length.

FastCat services run from Ryde Pier