FRESH pleas for floating bridge charges to be dropped have been rejected by the Isle of Wight Council.
Opposition councillors had asked the Tory administration to waive charges, until problems with the new vessel had been resolved, and to provide free travel for parents taking their children to school.
Both requests were voted down at last night's (Wednesday) full council meeting, despite reports of businesses and parents struggling.
Ward Cllr Julia Baker-Smith said she knew a single mother struggling to live on £70 a week, who could not afford to spend £10 a week taking her son across the river. He has ADHD and autism, and attends a Cowes school better able to meet his needs.
"There are days when she has to choose whether to feed him or take him to school," said Cllr Baker-Smith, adding the charges discriminated against Cowes parents whose children attended Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, East Cowes, the only faith school in the two towns.
But cabinet member for resources, Cllr Stuart Hutchinson, said the council could not afford to drop the charges and it was only right that people paid for a service they used - even if the replacement launch was less frequent.
He said the replacement service cost £30,000 a month, which would rise to £50,000 if the timetable was extended, in addition to the £515,000 overspend already racked up due to ongoing problems with the new vessel.
In terms of parents taking their children to school, where they lived in another town, he said it was no different to paying for a bus.
But Lib Dem Cllr Andrew Garratt said: "You say there is an economic cost to the council, but what about the cost to businesses? What about the social cost? This would show the council cares about the people it serves."
Labour Cllr Geoff Brodie said: "Given the debacle we are enduring, it would be a good gesture. While we are inconveniencing people, the least we can do is allow them to travel for free."