The Sandbanks Ferry Company has today committed to maintaining the service throughout the national COVID-19 lockdown announced by the Government on 31st October.
From Thursday 5th November to Wednesday 2nd December, the ferry will continue to operate services every 20 minutes starting at 7.00am from Sandbanks. However, in anticipation of extremely low passenger numbers at night, the final daily ferry crossing during the lockdown period will run at 9.00pm from Sandbanks.
All classes of passengers will continue to be able to use the ferry to travel to Purbeck and enjoy the local beach and countryside as part of their daily exercise.
Commenting on this announcement, Mike Kean, Managing Director of the Sandbanks Ferry Company, said: “We know that local residents will still rely on the ferry to travel to work, university or local hospitals during lockdown, and so we are pleased to be able to make a commitment to them during this challenging second lockdown.
“The ferry is also a great way for local residents to visit the beautiful landscapes we enjoy in Studland, Swanage and Sandbanks for their daily exercise, and hope they will take advantage of this during lockdown.”
The Ferry Company complies with the current restrictions for public transport, and as such a number of safety measures remain in place on board the ferry to protect passengers and staff. These include:
- Asking passengers to pay by card if they can. Cash is accepted if they have no alternative means of payment.
- All cyclists and foot passengers aged 11 and over must wear face coverings while queuing and on board, completely covering the nose and mouth, unless a medical exemption is in place.
- Motorcyclists should keep helmets on during queuing and for the duration of the journey.
- Cyclists and foot passengers must remain in the marked-out social distancing boxes while on board, unless guided otherwise by staff.
- Vehicle passengers should remain in their vehicle while on board the ferry, with windows closed. If necessary, the driver’s side windows may be lowered for ventilation.
- Convertible vehicles must travel with roofs up and windows closed, with driver’s side window ventilation if required.
Details of the ferry timetable can be found at: http://www.sandbanksferry.co.uk/timetable.php. Updates on any daily changes to the service or timetable can also be found at @sandbanksferry on Twitter and on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sandbanksferry.