By Carole Dennett
Hovertravel is adding an extra flight from Ryde on Monday mornings at 0645 to answer demand from key workers. Hovertravel is currently the only fast ferry option to and from the Isle of Wight, operating a critical community service for those with an essential need to travel.
Key workers which include medical professionals, emergency services teams, military personnel, supermarket staff and others still need to work to keep the communities on both sides of the Solent functioning. The company is asking all other customers to stay at home and the low passenger numbers demonstrate clearly that the Solent community has been observing the Government guidelines strictly.
Hovertravel’s Essential Lifeline timetable runs hourly but the Duty Managers have the ability to operate extra flights due to the short ten-minute journey and quick-turnaround time of the hovercraft. The HoverBus timetable will be amended so that it is ready to meet the 0645 departure from Ryde when the craft lands at Southsea, allowing the key workers easy onward access to Portsmouth and its two rail stations.
