The UK government has announced an emergency fund of up to £10.5m to support lifeline transport links to the Isle of Wight and the Isles of Scilly during the coronavirus pandemic.
The funding – agreed jointly by the Department for Transport and Her Majesty’s Treasury – will support the continuation of passenger ferries to the Isle of Wight as well as sea and air links to the Isles of Scilly over the next three months.
According to transport secretary Grant Shapps, the fund will help ensure the more than 140,000 people that live on the Isle of Wight and 2,200 on the Isles of Scilly continue to have access to medical services on the mainland while protecting the flow of supplies to these regions.
The fund follows the temporary suspension of competition law to allow ferry operators in the Isle of Wight to work together to continue to run essential services despite reduced usage during the virus, maintaining a route for those who cannot work from home and those needing medical treatment.
Shapps said: “Lifeline transport services remain fundamental to everyday lives, and by taking action today, we are helping ensure communities can access healthcare and essential goods and services.
“We should all be inherently grateful to transport operators who are providing vital services across the country at this difficult time and we will continue to back them and the critical work they carry out.”
Alongside the support for lifeline ferry services, Shapps also announced a new support package, worth tens of millions of pounds, to safeguard essential freight paths during the pandemic.
The funding will secure the ongoing supply of critical goods, including life-saving medicines, into the country during the Covid-19 pandemic, with up to 31 routes eligible for support.
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