Kent County Council and says it's working hard to secure its future.
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00:00Last month, the Tilbury Ferry made its last crossing between Gravesend and Essex.
00:05Used by commuters, school children and day-trippers alike, the ferry ceased running when operator
00:11Jetstream Tours said it couldn't secure long-term funding from Kent County Council.
00:16The service, which ran from morning to evening five days a week,
00:19transported 100,000 people a year.
00:22Without that footfall, businesses near the pier fear for their future.
00:27It's kind of killing us, because we were struggling really, before, anyway,
00:32like, you know, as you know, climate change, people online shopping and so forth.
00:37But now, without the guys coming over from Essex, we've lost so many customers, it's untrue.
00:44And people, like, obviously the passing traffic, because they would get off the ferry,
00:48this is the way they would come into the town,
00:50up and down this high street, and now we're not getting that at all.
00:53So, yeah, it's really detrimental, actually.
00:56I think myself and quite a few other businesses around here
00:58are actually thinking whether we can carry on.
01:00The Three Doors pub is the oldest in Gravesend,
01:03and sits right next to the entrance to the pier.
01:06It says foot traffic from the ferry made up 10% of its business.
01:10I think it's a very sad state of affairs, because there's so many people
01:15who utilise it for very different reasons.
01:19We have children come across here for school.
01:22We have cycling groups come through here.
01:24We have people from just across the way, across the water,
01:28who come and do shopping here, come and use the pubs, the restaurants.
01:33All that's now gone.
01:35But Gravesend Borough Council say they are working hard
01:38with Kent County Council and Thurrock Council to restore the service.
01:42I can't give a dateline as to when it will come back,
01:45but we are talking to various government agencies,
01:48Kent County Council, Thurrock and Essex,
01:51and meetings took place this week on the very subject.
01:54And we as Gravesend have been very central to trying to make that all happen.
01:59We want it back, and we're trying to encourage them
02:02to find the funding to make it happen.
02:04So you are confident then that maybe within the next year or so
02:09we will see a return of that service?
02:13I'd like to see that service return within that time scale.
02:16We do need to make sure whoever brings the service back
02:19can get the boats and the training and the proper health and safety practices in place.
02:24If they can achieve that within the time scale, that'd be fabulous.
02:27The sooner we bring it back, the better.
02:29Kent County Council told KMTV that it's disappointing
02:32that the Gravesend to Tilbury Ferry has had to halt its service,
02:36saying it's worked hard to secure an extension to the contract,
02:39but it has not been possible.
02:41The council says that following the results of its recent public consultation,
02:45it will continue to work to secure a sustainable long-term solution for the ferry.
02:49While KCC may be looking for another provider for the ferry in the coming months,
02:54it's clear businesses here in the Heritage Quarter
02:57are going to struggle without that additional footfall.
03:00Oliver Leaders of Stats reporting for KMTV.