The Department for Transport has approved revised maximum tolls for the Bournemouth–Swanage (Sandbanks) ferry, with the order taking effect on 30 December 2025. The decision follows consultation and a statutory inquiry, and was signed on 9 December 2025 by Samantha Collins-Hill, a senior civil servant at the DfT. For travellers, the change resets the regulated ceiling on what the operator can charge; it does not compel immediate rises to those maxima.

Single-use fares are set out in Table 1A of the order, while Table 1B keeps percentage discounts for bulk tickets and passes by applying them to the new single fares. The structure matters for frequent users: multi-ride products remain anchored to the core fare, so any future adjustment flows through proportionately. Until the company publishes a notice, customers should assume current displayed prices hold within the new cap.

Price updates after 2025 are controlled by an inflation guardrail. The operator may adjust tolls only in April and by no more than the cumulative change in UK CPI (all items, ONS) between January of the year in question and January 2025. In plain terms, April 2026’s permitted increase is capped by the CPI change since January 2025; April 2027 would be capped by the change since January 2025, and so on. That design prevents mid‑year jumps and ties long‑run pricing to inflation rather than discretionary uplifts.

There are timing and transparency rules. Before changing tolls, the company must notify the Secretary of State and then, at least seven days later, publish a notice in a local newspaper and on its website. New charges can start 28 days after publication but never before 1 April in any year. A further brake applies: no class of toll can be changed if 12 months have not passed since the previous adjustment for that class. For planning purposes, the earliest CPI‑linked change under this framework would therefore be 1 April 2026, assuming notice is published in early March.

The DfT’s rationale leans on a revenue adequacy test. Ministers concluded the revised toll framework is likely to yield revenue “merely adequate” to meet operating costs while providing a reasonable return on the company’s investment in the road and ferry. That phrasing signals a utility‑style approach: cover the bills, fund maintenance and renewal, and allow a modest return-nothing more expansive.

Two shareholder safeguards are written into the order. First, distributions are capped at 6% of the company’s net asset value in any 12‑month period. Second, no distributions are permitted if the Motor Ferry Replacement Reserve shows a deficit in the latest annual accounts. Together, these clauses prioritise asset renewal and service continuity over cash extraction, aligning investors’ outcomes with reliability on the waterway.

Accountability steps also tighten. At least 28 days before any toll notice is published, the company must make its most recent annual accounts available at its principal office and on its website, and keep them up until after the revision takes effect. For commuters, that means a clear line of sight between finances and fare decisions; for investors, it clarifies the dividend headroom created by the 6% cap and the state of the replacement reserve.

Operational details are unchanged in one important respect: where a vehicle tows one or more trailers, a separate toll equal to the drawing vehicle’s toll is charged for each trailer. Goods vehicle weights and classifications follow the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, while “passenger vehicle” retains its plain meaning. Businesses moving equipment should model total trip costs accordingly, especially when comparing bulk‑ticket savings against occasional single fares.

For households and SMEs, the takeaway is straightforward. Bulk‑buy discounts survive and will continue to scale with the posted single fare, which can make pre‑purchasing attractive for regular crossings. Budget for a possible CPI‑linked adjustment each April, watch for the 28‑day notice window, and remember that the company can set prices anywhere up to the regulated maximums. If the replacement reserve falls into deficit, expect dividends to stop rather than fares to jump-by design, the order prioritises keeping the ferry funded and running.

Finally, this instrument revokes the 2021 toll order and resets the legal baseline under the Transport Charges (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1954 as modified by the Bournemouth‑Swanage Acts of 1956 and 1986. It’s a modernised, inflation‑linked framework with clear guardrails on pricing and payouts-built to balance user affordability, transparency, and long‑term asset upkeep.