Ambitious dream of a water taxi service for Portsmouth Harbour is mooted to provide huge boost for the area

Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, chaired a summit of a diverse range of senior stakeholders with expertise from both public and private sectors in order to explore the introduction of a water taxi service around the harbour -and eventually beyond.

It follows the decision by the operators of the Late Night Gosport-Portsmouth ferry to cease operations in February, with the MP seeking a long-term, sustainable, and innovative solution to connecting sites across Portsmouth Harbour and reduce the reliance on cars to travel around it.

More than 40 local stakeholders attended to hear the case for a water taxi in a first step of the plans, which included Ms Dinenage, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan, county councillors, CEO of Business South Leigh-Sara Timberlake, and Ocean Infinity Transformation Architect, Andy Tourell.

Speakers emphasised the transformative potential of a water taxi service, with Mr Morgan highlighting that taxi proposals aligned with Government plans for economic growth, Net Zero targets, and improved transport connectivity.

Voices from the tourism economy emphasised how water taxis could be transformative for Portsmouth's cultural corridor, helping to better connect its historic waterfront assets and other attractions accessible by the Solent.

With practical solutions in mind, many of the attendees with a footprint in the passenger transport arena spoke about the need to ensure that a business case existed that would take into account changing consumer behaviours, like working from home.

However, the Summit concluded with agreement to progress towards developing a detailed business case and exploring pilot opportunities, with an eye on a long-term solution to waterborne transport in Portsmouth Harbour.

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Caroline Dinenage said: “The aim of this summit was to explore the art of the possible. I wanted to bring together local people with the expertise and vision to realise a project like this, because it is going to require widespread buy-in if a water taxi is to come to fruition.

“Our local heritage is rooted in treating our waterways as connectors, not barriers. I’m really looking forward to seeing this idea snowball and change the way we view the Harbour, from a barrier to an asset.

“I’m really grateful to everyone who came and contributed to this important discussion today.”