Friday: Festival Travel News

By a County Press reporter

Friday, June 22, 2012

 

UPDATED 15:57

FESTIVAL-GOERS had to sleep in their cars last night (Thursday) after traffic problems stopped them reaching the Isle of Wight Festival site.

Heavy rain waterlogged entrances to the car parks at the site, which meant some cars had to be towed on to site and led to tailbacks stretching for miles.

LATEST UPDATE:

15:57: Red Funnel say it can only run its largest vessel, Red Jet 4, in these weather and tide conditions. The tide turns off Cowes at around 7pm, after 7pm the company may be able to run two boats, or earlier if the wind drops.

15:08: The route 9 buses are now running to Ryde via Staplers and via Fairlee on return, if advertised, according to Southern Vectis on Twitter. 

14:57: Red Funnel passenger service reduced to one boat due to weather conditions. Leaving Southampton at quarter to the hour and leaving Cowes at quarter past the hour.

14:45: Wightlink said its enhanced Isle of Wight Festival service was operating to schedule.

13:36: Isle of Wight Festival organisers say "We are using Robin Hill for overflow parking, please drive there rather than to the festival site when you arrive on the island by vehicle. From there festival buses will bring you to the site" according to Hampshire Constabulary's Facebook page.

12:53: Latest information from Wightlink: Please follow all directions from police, there is currently no right turn from Fishbourne Lane. Festival goers are currently being directed to Robin Hill to park their cars and a free of charge shuttle bus service will operate to the festival site.

12:47 Route 1, Cowes to Newport, buses now running to timetable as traffic queues have subsided and route 9, Ryde to Newport, buses will now operate to timetable but will divert via Staplers Road in both directions, according to Southern Vectis.

12:44: Isle of Wight Council updates on school buses:

409 - East Cowes to Christ the King College will remain cancelled

305 - Ryde via Wootton and Newport to Cowes Enterprise College will operate this afternoon to Newport and on request to Ryde, though it will not serve Binstead or Wootton.

411 - Bembridge to Christ the King College via Ryde, as per this morning it will not serve Wootton or Binstead.

412 - Brading to Christ the King College via Ryde, as per this morning it will not serve Wootton or Binstead.

314 - East Cowes to Sandown Bay Academy via Ryde, this service will not operate to Binstead, Wootton or East Cowes.

12:35: The festival organizers have now secured additional parking at Robin Hill for 400 cars.

Southern Vectis are working with the local authority and the police to facilitate transportation to the festival site. The company confirmed it is providing six vehicles, drivers and marshalls.

12:14: Southern Vectis's route 5 buses (East Cowes to Newport) are operating but only at an hourly intervals. They are due to depart Newport at 10 minutes past each hour. Route 4 is also running but with delays due to the queues of traffic through Wootton and Lushington Hill, according to Southern Vectis.

12:00: Hampshire Constabulary said on its Facebook page that Robin Hill Country Park is now being made available for motorists heading to the Isle of Wight Festival from Fishbourne to park their cars. A bus service will take festival goers from Robin Hill to the festival site.

11:48: According to the Isle of Wight Council's Faccebook page festival traffic is backed up to The Woodmans' Arms in Wootton but is moving and Staplers Road was clear. They also reported there were delays for the floating bridge of around 1 hour and 20 minutes going from Cowes to East Cowes, but there were no delays in the other direction.

11:10am: Red Funnel said on its Twitter feed "Traffic now seems to be getting to East Cowes. We will try and ship booked items as they arrive but as you can imagine there's a backlog. Please bear with us whilst we try and catch up at East Cowes. Plan is to ship booked traffic that is here and then try and fill up with missed items."

11:05am: Hampshire Constabulary posted this travel information on its Facebook page:

More car parks are open around the Seaclose Park site but Isle of Wight Festival goers and residents are advised to still expect significant delays today.

The festival’s emergency liaison team is working closely together to explore other options to reduce traffic queues and minimise disruption as soon as possible. These options include opening other car parks across the island. Our priority is to clear existing traffic on the island and provide more welfare and refreshments to motorists in queues. Some motorists remain parked at Newport football club.

Please make parking arrangements before you start your journey. There is congestion, particularly in Portsmouth.

Isle of Wight Festival organisers say "If you are on the mainland we are advising people not to travel by car. There is a ferry service for foot passengers and this will be the easiest route. We are sorry for any disruptions caused."

10: 25am: The route 1 park and ride bus has amended its route due to queues of traffic waiting for the floating bridge according to Southern Vectis at 10.25am.

9:57am: Southern Vectis reported at 9.57am that its route 5 East Cowes to Newport buses were not running: "due to traffic volume and delays, although we are going to try and send one in a short while. Yesterday it took up to seven and a half hours to do one return journey on this route."

8.35am: It was reported that the 409 (East Cowes to Christ the King)  and 305 (Ryde to Cowes Enterprise College) school buses were cancelled as the buses could not get into or out of East Cowes.

The company are offering passengers from Binstead a shuttle service into Ryde in order to use any route operating from Ryde Bus Station.

Route 9 buses are running between Ryde and Newport via Brading, Hare and Hounds and Staplers Road.

John Marr, of voluntary support service Vectis 4x4 Response, said they had eight vehicles on site between 7pm and 11.40pm helping with vehicles stuck in the mud.

"In that time we moved 358 vehicles that were stuck in the mud.

"There is only one wat into the car park and the conditions were the cause of all the hold ups. we ain't to blame, but we did our best."

Hants 4x4 and Sussex 4x4 Response groups are on stand-by if needed, according to Mr Marr.

Islanders have been caught up in the traffic chaos and Wootton Primary School has been closed this morning (Friday), because of staff travel problems.

@clashcitywomble said on Twitter, that at 6.30am today there were hundreds of cars that had been waiting for more than nine hours near the crematorium to get on site.

Commenting on the County Press story 'Traffic delays near festival site' this morning, Wootton resident Rod Fisher said: "Yesterday I couldn't get out to Newport. Its 7am Friday and the traffic is backed up to the Cedars Pub.


"My wife is walking to where she dumped the car yesterday at 9.00pm, Butterfly World, because the road was at a standstill for an hour. 


"At 12.30am the cars were still queueing on Wootton High Street."

Organisers have pledged to get food to those stuck in their cars last night and have opened new parking areas this morning (Friday) in a a bid to end the congestion.

In an interview with Radio Solent this morning, organiser John Giddings, said they were doing everything in their power to deal with the problems.

During the night he said hundreds of cars were moved to Newport Football Club and they were preparing to move the rest of the stranded cars from around 7.15am.

"Believe you me, I am doing everything in my power and the police are telling me to do everything in my power, because they want an emergency plan from me by Sunday about how we are going to get people out," said Mr Giddings.

He urged people travelling today to consider using public transport as buses would have priority getting on to site.

Following major problems for Wightlink yesterday, when boats could not disembark because of traffic build up in Fishbourne, the company said sailings were now running as normal.

Red Funnel and Hovertravel operated to schedule yesterday.

Southern Vectis said at around 5.30am that it was not currently running Routes 4 or 5, which serve East Cowes. All Route 9 buses are running via Brading in both directions due to congestion in Wootton.

An emergency and community information page has been set up on Facebook. To view the page click here.

Phil Swift who set up the group said: "Anyone in a desperate situation due to the weather at the Festival please join this group where you may be able to get help.

"If you have any Festi goers outside your house or stranded in a car please consider offering them a mug of tea, the loo, or even a floor to sleep on. If you can help please do all you can to make this Emergency and Communication group go Viral on Facebook."

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by R Griffiths

22nd June 2012, at 20:40:58

Great to hear of islanders helping stranded festival goers with sandwiches etc. Hopefully in spite of the dreadful mayhem On Thursday and much of today Island people with rally round and give festival goers a genuine welcome and help restore confidence in teh island as a great place to visit. Todays festival goers are tomorrows holiday makers. Just a shame so many will go away with such a dreadful impression. Wne i used to help orghamise day events in the past we always had to have a plan B especially for an outside event. there is just no excuse to keep blaming it on the weather. There was plenty of warning and a plan B should have been worked out to have akernative car parking available if needed. Instead of continually bleating on about the weather its about time the organusers put their hands up and admit they got it wrong and had no proper contingency plans - in spite of there being wet weather for so long and the forcast showing heavy rain for Thursday. next year remember to

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by michael brian chandler

22nd June 2012, at 17:24:59

wowfest would have been much further and awkward to get to by car and even though the numbers were lower it would have been right in the summer holidays with all the holidaymakers trying to come over, as well as normal commuters. anyway i aired my opinion and i respect all other too lets hope the people who got to the festival enjoy it and im sure this wil definately be lessons to improve the situation in future years

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by Philip Yates

22nd June 2012, at 17:01:22

Ref wow fest... think again... the numbers were far lower. and for a shorter period. Some people have very short memories.
You want to see the state of the muddy buses this morning, i pity the cleaners.
Next year its ECO Festival... No cars, camper vans etc. No way does this festival support the idea of an eco island.

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by michael brian chandler

22nd June 2012, at 15:03:49

i have word...... and one word only......
one word...... for all who moaned that its cancelled......
one word for all that moaned about the people who aired their concearns of the impact that it would have on the island, the islanders, the environment, the people coming over for thir holidays on the ferries, trains and buses,
and that word is.......

WOWFEST

i, and many others that see all aspects to situations and with common sense.... i rest my case.....

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by Ashley Harcourt

22nd June 2012, at 14:59:29

All these bad comments. Poor Mr Giddings should be congratulated on managing to cram into just a few days the chaos, jams, poor management and lack of consideration that the badly managed council so professionally spread throughout the year on a virtual daily basis. Perhaps Islanders are happier that at least the Councils continual chaos is funded directly by their taxes, none this 'overners' cash stuff.
As for the festival goers left bobbing around on the Solent last night, well they should count themselves lucky that there were enough of them to prevent the 'technical problems' that cancel so many of Wightlinks ferries when they are poorly attended by travellers. Luckily with so many travellers captive buying drinks and food no such 'technical problems' occurred. In fact with such promise of full sailings Wightlink even managed a celebratory spout of profiteering and raised their prices. Hoorah!! Canapés and champagne all round, but not for the punters, they can pay top dollar

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by david webster

22nd June 2012, at 14:58:19

I really hope the IoW festival does continue. There clearly has been a pretty basic mistake made. But John Giddings does appear to listen and try to remedy mistakes.
Also I can't help but think that Andrew Turner is alluding to a broader responsibility when he talks about the license extension to 90000. After all, anyone who has built onto their house knows how much scrutiny planning and building control give it - yet did no-one at the council or the police bother to check if the car parks are usable if it rains?
Hopefully everyone learns from what happened and we're all better prepared next year.

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by Mrs James

22nd June 2012, at 14:21:34

In my opinion this will be the last Festival as Mr G will do on the IW and take it to Brighton, as he said he might some years ago but will blame this catastrophy & the Weather as the reason... ;)

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by Mrs James

22nd June 2012, at 12:46:52

Can I just say the Emergency and Community Information for the IW FB Group was created by Donna Woodward Taylor when we had the bad Snow and has carried on since for all Community Issues but has taken in over 400 new members since yesterday evening with people asking for help and giving / receiving advice etc.

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by ben greenham

22nd June 2012, at 12:02:25

@ ian jackson thanks, i must admit i was extremely surprised, all the way down we had been hearing of the problems as they were reporting them on the radio and friends and family were phoning us to tell us but then total surprise when we got to red funnel for the 22.15 sailing and found it almost deserted and then even more surprise when there wasnt a queue for the floating bridge back to cowes, i guess we were just lucky, might be time to buy a lottery ticket

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by Pam Riddet

22nd June 2012, at 11:49:16

I for one would not want the Island to lose this festival - it has a reputation for being one of the best. But the council, police and organisers need to have a very serious rethink before they start organising for next year. Better liaison with the ferry companies as well might help. Sunday is my day for shopping and previous year's we have taken the slow route back from Ryde to drive past the site and enjoy some friendly banter with the festival goers. I don't think we will this year though, and we will probably do our shopping some time next week!

Any views or opinions presented in the comments above are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the Isle of Wight County Press.

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