MORE than 15,000 disgruntled ferry users have now signed an online petition.

A little over six weeks ago, Simon Jackson started a petition on the Wightlink Users Facebook page, firing a broadside at Wightlink and Red Funnel's lack of reliability, and frequent delays and cancellations to cross-Solent crossings.

He has also described the Island's ferry services as "beyond expensive" and "beyond a joke", and that passengers were "being used as cash cows", with business and tourism affected.  

Since then, 15,243 — as of this afternoon, Tuesday, September 17 — have signed the petition, from not only angry customers, but also businesses affected. 

Wightlink runs routes between Portsmouth, Fishbourne and Ryde, and Lymington and Yarmouth, while Red Funnel operates between Southampton, Cowes and East Cowes.

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Both ferry companies say, in their defence, they work hard to provide affordable travel for Islanders, offering various discounts.

The Isle of Wight's two new MPs, Richard Quigley (West) and Joe Robertson (East), continue to put pressure on the new government to regulate ferry services offered by the two ferry giants.

The state of the ferries was one of the biggest issues for Islanders at the General Election. 

Behind the petition, on the Wightlink Users Facebook page, the complaints raised range from the high cost of cross-Solent travel, to cancellations or delays.