Hovertravel, the fastest Isle of Wight passenger service across the Solent, has unveiled some of the developments it will be putting in place for the forthcoming Isle of Wight Festival.
Neil Chapman, Hovertravel managing director said: “We have spent a great deal of time and effort looking at the lessons we can learn from last year. Additionally by working with Andrew Turner MP, we believe that we can answer the requirements of commuters and local customers as well as supporting the festival itself.”
Hovertravel will have a priority boarding system which will fast-track commuters and regular Island customers on to the hovercraft, essentially allowing these customers to automatically jump to the front of any queue.
Hovertravel has made a commitment to give island customers access to standard price fares and even some special offers during the festival weekend.
Finally the recent Hovertravel arrangement with the NHS will also allow NHS patients travelling as part of this scheme to use the priority boarding system.
Andrew Turner MP adds: “I feel that those of us who live on the Island should not be disadvantaged by the large volumes of passenger traffic using Hovertravel during the festival. Many Islanders rely on this service on a daily basis and even those who are not regular travellers may need to get to the mainland during the festivals. Neil was very open to my suggestions and was keen to learn from the experiences of last year. I am delighted that Hovertravel are showing a genuine commitment to cater for commuters, NHS patients and the local community and I very much welcome the plans to prioritise island residents.”
Hovertravel is also launching Escape the Festival promotional fares. On Thursday 9th and Friday 10th June only, single tickets from Ryde to Southsea will be available at a discounted price of £5 for adults/children/seniors. Additionally on Monday 13th June, single tickets from Southsea to Ryde will also be available at £5. These special fares can be booked in the terminals from May 24th.
