75 years ago, in May 1950, the cost of ferry fares were, apparently, already a source of grievance. Mr. H. Frohock, of St. Alban’s guest house, Shanklin, sent a letter to the County Press asking why it cost £3 to cross the Solent, when it only cost 5s (25p) to cross the Firth of Forth.
Looks like little’s changed then.. 😁
For context, the Firth of Forth crossing distance is 1.7 miles and is now served by a bridge. Southampton to East Cowes is 12.6 miles. By my calculation, if the Red Funnel crossing had been charged at the same rate per mile as the Firth of Forth crossing, the RF ticket would have cost £1.85.
£3.00 in 1950 is equivalent in purchasing power to about £131.50 today. £1.85 equates to £81.00.