Following the easing of lockdown, the Sandbanks Ferry will resume its full timetable, operating from 7 am to 11.10 pm daily from Thursday 1st April 2021 onwards.
The first daily ferry will leave Sandbanks at 7 am and the final daily ferry operating from Studland will depart at 11.10 pm. Throughout March 2021 it’s been running a reduced service from 7 am until 9 pm.
Discount for the bulk purchase of passes
In conjunction with the return of longer operating hours, the Sandbanks Ferry company says it’s going to continue to offer a discount for the bulk purchase of passes for those using the new Sandbanks Ferry Ticket Card.
It’s now offering 100 passes at a discount of 38 percent which works out as £2.95 per crossing for cars. To benefit from this offer, the card will need to be registered to a BH postcode. One account may have up to two cards, allowing the allocation to be shared.
Additionally, holders of any unused paper book tickets for motor cars will be able to convert them into passes and have them transferred to the ticket card. However the passes on the ticket card will expire after two years if they are unused, while there is no expiry date on the paper tickets.
“I would like to thank all ferry staff for their ongoing professionalism”
Managing director of the Sandbanks Ferry Company, Mike Kean said:
“We are pleased that the ferry, alongside other parts of daily life, can now begin to return to normal operating hours as traffic volumes increase.
“We were pleased to be able to maintain the ferry service throughout this third national lockdown for all the residents who relied on us to travel to work, university or local hospitals during this challenging time.
“I would also like to thank all ferry staff for their ongoing professionalism and hard work throughout the pandemic.”
Current public transport Covid regulations
The ferry company still needs to continue to comply with the current public transport Covid regulations. The safety measures that remain in place on board the ferry to protect passengers and staff, 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
