Wightlink Users Group share a letter sent to the directors and shareholders of Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP and Colliers Investment Management UK Holdings Ltd:

Those of us that live on the Isle of Wight are very aware of the unique social and economic issues that come with being an Island.

Varbes reports: "The GDP value of Isle of Wight represents 0.2 per cent of the English economy. Isle of Wight is the 53rd unitary authority in England (of 59 total) when ordered by GDP, and the 50th unitary authority in England (of 59 total) when ordered by GDP per capita.

"The jobs on the Isle of Wight represents of the 30,055,000 reported jobs in England. Isle of Wight is the 53rd unitary authority in England (of 59 total) when ordered by total jobs, and the 47th unitary authority in England (of 59 total) when ordered by job density.

"Isle of Wight's unemployment rate of 7.5 per cent is 3.6 per cent higher than the unemployment rate for England (3.9 per cent).

A small but significant snapshot of how the Island very much needs support.  

There are unique social and economic issues that affect all aspects of our lives and negatively impact our equality of opportunity and productivity.

It is no wonder then that we look at the barriers to economic growth we are faced with, and conclude that one of the major ones are the ferry companies that we so heavily rely upon. 

Commuting, imports and exports, tourism, health, education, leisure, to name a few, all rely upon the regular, cost effective and reliable provision of transport.

This transport is provided entirely by private companies, the biggest of which is your company. 

Wightlink has a long chain of ownership concluding with Colliers Investment Management UK Holdings and Basalt Infrastructure Partners. 

We see that the directors and shareholders are paid exceptional salaries and above average dividends. 

We see that the huge debt the company has is paying interest at well above LIBOR. 

We see that no tax is paid in the UK, and no dues are paid directly by Wightlink to the Isle of Wight Council.

It is not unreasonable of us to conclude that the Isle of Wight is being heavily exploited by you at the expense of the economy and residents of the Isle of Wight – an area already at the bottom of so many league tables.

On the Island, Wightlink is viewed, to put it mildly, unfavourably.

So many people are unhappy with the service provided by Wightlink.

It is only in business to extract maximum profit at every opportunity from a captive customer base. 

Our group started as a fledgling idea, by one person, in November 2022. It now has over 1,200 people supporting it and is growing steadily as the word spreads about our simple aim, “Better Services for Wightlink Users”.

We note that your corporate Key Performance Indicators emphasise and highlight your positive impact on the local community, yet this is not reflected in our experience or in actions of the company on the ground.

Your directors and shareholders' decisions impact the population of a whole county. 

I hope what we have written makes you more aware of our situation, and we ask that you look at measuring the ‘success’ of your company in terms other than just profit and bonuses.