Ferries which connect island communities to mainland Britain are in decline, an MP has warned in his push to bring boats more in line with buses and trains.
Joe Robertson said the Isle of Wightâs 140,400 residents have little say over how ferries are run across the Solent to Hampshire.
He has tabled the Ferry Services (Integration and Regulation) Bill which, if agreed, would set up a framework for regulating boat routes throughout the country.
Bus and train operators must follow several laws, such as the new Bus Services Act this month, which gives councils the power to guard âsocially necessaryâ routes from sudden cuts.
But there is âno accountability or control over pricing or any aspect of the wayâ ferries are run, Mr Robertson told the PA news agency.
The Conservative MP said: âThe ferry companies could in theory close up shop, sell off the land for housing and call it a day if that was more profitable.
âI suspect, if they tried to do that, the Government would be forced to step in and do something.
âBut there is no obligation they have to anyone, so that means weâve got prices like ÂŁ400 return to bring a car back and forth on peak weekends.â
Mr Robertson said âdiminishedâ timetables and higher costs put off young families from wanting to move to the island and deter tourists, âshutting off the island economyâ.
The companies are âexchanged between private equity groupsâ, he added, which are allowed to set their own timetables and pricing structures, such as surge pricing with higher fares when the ferries are busiest.
âI donât want to find that when I want to travel to see friends, family, go to a funeral, that Iâm spending ÂŁ300 because it happens to be the same weekend that tourists are coming to the island, happens to be half-term, for example,â Mr Robertson said.
âIf we talk about a holiday abroad, paying for an airline, we probably accept that your right to go to whatever destination you want to go to is not absolute, and if you want to do it at a popular time, youâve got to pay because itâs a holiday.
âTo the Isle of Wight, weâre talking about people going to funerals, people going to weddings, people going to see friends and families, people going to see a mother or a grandmother whoâs ill suddenly.
âAnd, of course, the ferry companies say, âwell, if you book in advance, itâs much cheaperâ.
âWell, you know, sometimes you donât know when your grandmotherâs going to fall ill. She doesnât notify you two months in advance sheâs going to fall ill on December 3.
âSo, their attitude doesnât seem to understand the realities of living on the island.â
Mr Robertson also said his Bill could be used to line up ferry and train timetables at Ryde, in his Isle of Wight East constituency, and Portsmouth.
Wightlink, which operates up to 140 sailings every day, operating 364 days a year, admitted tourism had declined over the past 20 years.
âWe actively gather customer feedback through âmeet the teamâ events, conversations with local MPs and customer reviews, and we welcome direct dialogue on how we can continue to improve our services,â company chief executive officer Katy Taylor said.
âCurrently, 90% of island resident journeys use fixed price or discounted tickets. Multilink vehicle passes start from ÂŁ31.35, foot passenger passes from ÂŁ7 and season tickets from ÂŁ6.25 per day.
âThis summer, we also introduced a ÂŁ40 fixed price vehicle ticket exclusively for residents.â
A Red Funnel Ferries spokesperson said: âFor nearly 165 years, Red Funnel has been a âlifeline providerâ to Isle of Wight residents.
âWe take this extremely seriously and continue to be very proud of the way we support islanders with a vital connection to and from the mainland.
âEach year, we operate over 26,000 crossings and have invested heavily to improve our service including offering islanders discounted travel on up to 20 crossings per day.
âWe welcome discussion on any measures that would support the vital connection we provide to and from the mainland.â
Mr Robertson is set to introduce his Bill in the Commons on Wednesday November 5.
