Motorists crossing the Solent between Fishbourne and Portsmouth will soon face higher ferry costs, with confirmation that a new Government-imposed environmental charge will add around £3 to a standard return crossing from July 2026.
From 1st July 2026, motorists on Wightlink’s Portsmouth – Fishbourne route will pay a levy on each leg of their journey.
The charge is part of the Labour Government’s UK Emissions Trading Scheme, which is being extended to cover larger domestic ferries.
Cars under 5 metres will be charged £1.50 per single crossing, while larger vehicles will pay £1.75. Motorcycles and scooters will incur a £1.25 fee. This means a typical return journey for a car will cost an additional £3.
The levy will apply to all bookings made from 6th May for travel after 1st July.
The charge applies to all vehicle bookings, including discounted and concessionary travel. This includes: Multilink Vehicle Pass users, NHS hospital appointment bookings, Tesco Partner Reward bookings, Accessible Travel discounts and Sponsorship Account bookings. Pedestrians are not affected.
Multilink customers will not pay the levy when purchasing their pass, but will be charged each time they make a booking.
The fee will appear as a separate line item and must be paid before confirmation.
The Government’s ETS scheme places a cost on emissions produced by operators, with funds used to support renewable energy, low-carbon innovation and energy efficiency improvements.
Wightlink has voiced opposition to the move, arguing it unfairly impacts the Isle of Wight. The company says the Island relies entirely on ferry transport for essential travel including commuting, healthcare and trade. It also highlights that some Scottish island routes have been granted exemptions, while Isle of Wight services have not.
Efforts have been made to challenge the policy through discussions with MPs, Government departments and local organisations, but the levy will still go ahead.
Wightlink says there are practical barriers to reducing emissions further at present, particularly a lack of electrical grid capacity at Portsmouth and Fishbourne. This comes after the company recently confirmed to Island Echo that plans for a fully electric ferry have been shelved in favour of a hybrid vessel due to these limitations.
Despite rising operational costs, Wightlink has stated there are currently no plans to introduce a separate fuel surcharge.
In a separate update, Wightlink has announced that from September 2026, a 20% VAT charge will apply to empty coach bookings. However, coaches travelling with passengers will remain zero-rated.
