Hayling Ferry agrees financial deal 'to save service'

Ferry skipper Colin Hill said the deal had saved the service

A ferry service has said it has agreed a deal to avoid financial collapse.

Hayling Ferry in Hampshire previously warned it would have to stop running after a temporary relaxation of harbour levies came to an end.

It said the new agreement with Langstone Harbour included a fare increase for only the second time in seven years.

The ferry closed in 2015 but was revived the following year after supporters raised £20,000.

The ferry continues a service that has operated for more than 200 years

It was in danger of closing again in 2018, according to the harbour's annual report.

The harbour temporarily reduced its levies that year and extended the gesture during the Covid pandemic, before restoring the old rates in April 2022.

Ferry skipper Colin Hill said the new agreement included a fare increase in April 2024 from £3 per crossing to £3.20 for foot passengers and £3.40 for cyclists.

The harbour's levy of 50p per passenger will be reduced after the first 20,000 passengers.

The ferry carried nearly 48,000 passengers in 2022/23, according to the harbour's annual report.

Harbourmaster Billy Johnson said the deal would make the ferry sustainable

Mr Hill said: "In effect, it does save the ferry. The charges they were proposing would have put the ferry in the red."

Harbourmaster Billy Johnson said: "We are confident [the deal] will keep the ferry running well into the future."

The agreement still needs to be ratified at a meeting of the harbour board on Monday.

Hayling Ferry, operated by Baker Trayte Marine, continues a service that has operated between Portsmouth and Hayling Island for more than 200 years.