The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry (Revision of Tolls) Order 2025
Source: legislation.gov.uk (2025-12-11)

This Order, made in consequence of an application by the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company, revises the maximum tolls which the Company may charge for use of the ferry and supersedes the toll levels set out in the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry (Revision of Tolls) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/854), which this Order revokes.

Statutory Instruments

2025 No. 1288

Highways, England

The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry (Revision of Tolls) Order 2025

Made

9th December 2025

Coming into force

30th December 2025

The Secretary of State for Transport makes this Order in exercise of the powers conferred by section 6(2) and (6) of the Transport Charges &c. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1954(1 (\"#f00001\")) (“the Act”), as modified by section 26 of the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Act 1956(2 (\"#f00002\")) and section 23 of the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Act 1986(3 (\"#f00003\")) (“the 1986 Act”).

The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road & Ferry Company (“the Company”) has applied to the Secretary of State for an order to be made in exercise of the powers in section 6(2) of the Act, as modified, in respect of the motor road and ferry.

The Secretary of State has consulted with those who have a substantial interest in the undertaking and has complied with the local inquiry requirement in accordance with section 6(2)(i) and (5) of the Act, respectively.

In deciding to make this Order in respect of the ferry, the Secretary of State has had regard to the financial position and future prospects of the Company in accordance with section 6(3) of the Act. She has concluded that this revision of tolls is likely to result in the Company receiving an annual revenue which will be merely adequate to meet the expenditure and costs of the Company and will provide a reasonable return upon the investment of the Company in the motor road and the ferry.

1. This Order may be cited as the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry (Revision of Tolls) Order 2025 and shall come into force on 30th December 2025.

2.—(1) In this Order—

(a)“the Company”, “the motor road” and “the ferry” have the meanings given to those expressions by section 2 of the 1986 Act;

(b)“goods vehicle” and “trailer” have the meanings given to those expressions by section 138(3) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984(4 (\"#f00004\")) (“the 1984 Act”);

(c)“passenger vehicle” means a vehicle constructed or adapted solely for the carriage of passengers and their effects; and

(d)“distribution” shall have the meaning given to that expression by section 829 of the Companies Act 2006(5 (\"#f00005\")).

(2) For the purposes of this Order the operating weight of a goods vehicle shall be determined as provided in section 138(2) of the 1984 Act.

3. The maximum tolls which the Company may take for the use of the ferry are hereby revised in accordance with Tables 1A and 1B in the Schedule to this Order.

4. The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry (Revision of Tolls) (Amendment) Order 2021(6 (\"#f00006\")) is hereby revoked.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport

Samantha Collins-Hill

A Senior Civil Servant

Department for Transport

9th December 2025

Article 3

SCHEDULE

1. The tolls for the single use of the ferry set out in this part should take effect from 30th December 2025.

Table 1A – Single Use Tolls for the use of the ferry

Class of TrafficSingle use Toll £ from 30/12/25Pedestrian (one way toll from Sandbanks)1.18Pedestrian (one way from Shell Bay)0.00Pedal or motor cycle1.18Car/light van up to 3500kg gross vehicle weight6.26Passenger vehicle > 16 persons (coaches)12.52Goods vehicle or similar over 3500kg gross vehicle weight12.52

2. The discounts for bulk purchases of tickets or passes for use of the ferry set out in this part should take effect from 30th December 2025, with the percentage discounts shown below in Table 1B applied to the single fares shown in Table 1A.

Table 1B – Discounts applicable to single use tolls to use the ferry for bulk purchases

VEHICLE / CLASSQuantityUntil 31/03/2601/04/26 to 31/03/2701/04/27 to 31/03/2801/04/28 onwardsPedestrian5010%10%10%10%Pedestrian10015%15%15%15%Pedal or motor cycle5010%10%10%10%Pedal or motor cycle10015%15%15%15%Car/light van up to 3500kg gross vehicle weight1036.3%33.0%29.0%24.0%Car/light van up to 3500kg gross vehicle weight5039.6%36.7%32.8%28.0%Goods vehicle or similar over 3500kg gross vehicle weight1036.3%33.0%29.0%24.0%Goods vehicle or similar over 3500kg gross vehicle weight5039.6%36.7%32.8%28.0%Passenger vehicle > 16 persons (coaches)1036.3%33.0%29.0%24.0%Passenger vehicle > 16 persons (coaches)5039.6%36.7%32.8%28.0%

3. The Company may make an adjustment in only April of any year after 2025 in the amount of tolls specified in the Schedule (Table 1A); and any such adjustment will be no more than the percentage difference between the consumer price index for January of that year and the consumer price index for the January immediately preceding the making of this Order.

4. References in paragraph 3 to the consumer price index are to be the United Kingdom Index of Consumer Prices (for all items) published by the Office for National Statistics (or such other index or substitute for that index which replaces it).

5. Subject to paragraph 2 and 3, the Company at any time by resolution may determine the amount of any tolls under paragraph 1, provided it does not exceed the maximum amount set out in that paragraph.

6. Whenever the Company proposes to exercise its power pursuant to paragraph 1, the Company must give notice to the Secretary of State for Transport and not less than 7 days thereafter must publish in at least one local newspaper circulating in the area in which the ferry is situated, and on the Company’s website, a notice substantially in the form set out in Part 2 of this Schedule.

7. The Company may charge the tolls set out in a notice, given under paragraph 6, from 28 days after the day on which the notice is published. However, the adjustment cannot be made before the first day of the following April.

8. The toll in respect of any vehicle or class of traffic may not be varied pursuant to this paragraph if less than 12 months have passed following the previous exercise by the Company of its power to amend the toll.

9. The Company will make available for inspection at its principal office and publish on the Company’s website its annual accounts for the previous accounting period not less than 28 days prior to any notice under paragraph 6 until after the date of any revision of tolls comes into effect.

10. In any 12-month period the Company may not make any distribution to shareholders which exceeds 6% of the Company’s net asset value or if the Motor Ferry Replacement Reserve is in deficit as shown in its annual accounts for the previous accounting period.

11. Where a vehicle is drawing one or more trailers, in addition to the toll chargeable under this Order for the use by that vehicle of the ferry, a toll of the same amount as that chargeable for the drawing vehicle shall be chargeable for each trailer.

PART 2FORM OF NOTICE

THE BOURNEMOUTH AND SWANAGE MOTOR ROAD AND FERRY COMPANY INC NOTICE OF REVISION OF TOLLS

The tolls applicable to the Bournemouth and Swanage Ferry shall be—

State revised tolls

The revisions set out above shall take effect on: [a date not less than 28 days after the date of this notice but not before the first day of this coming April].

Signed:

Name:

By a Director for and on behalf of The Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road & Ferry Company Inc.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order, made in consequence of an application by the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry Company, revises the maximum tolls which the Company may charge for use of the ferry and supersedes the toll levels set out in the Bournemouth-Swanage Motor Road and Ferry (Revision of Tolls) Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/854 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2021/854\")), which this Order revokes.

(1)

1954 c. 64 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/1954/64\").

(2)

1956 c. lxiii (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukla/1956/63\").

(3)

1986 c. xvii (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukla/1986/17\").

(4)

1984 c. 27 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/1984/27\").

(5)

2006 c. 46 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/ukpga/2006/46\").

(6)

S.I. 2021/854 (\"http://www.legislation.gov.uk/id/uksi/2021/854\").