Bournemouth–Swanage ferry tolls change on 30 Dec 2025

If you cross between Sandbanks and Studland, the price of that short hop is about to be managed in a more predictable way. The Department for Transport has made a new statutory instrument for the Bournemouth–Swanage (Sandbanks) ferry, taking effect on 30 December 2025 after a public inquiry earlier this year. This decision confirms the principle of inflation‑linked updates for future years, while setting out what the company must do before any change bites.

Let’s get our terms straight. A statutory instrument is a legal order that lets ministers apply or update detailed rules under powers Parliament has already agreed. In this case, the Transport Charges &c. (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1954 is the power used to revise tolls on tolled crossings. The previous Sandbanks toll order in 2021 was made under the same Act, which is why the 2025 order can replace and refine those earlier arrangements.

What has actually been approved? The new order revises the maximum single‑journey tolls the Company may charge and sets the discounts for bulk tickets and passes. It also supersedes the 2021 amendment schedule that had been governing prices. Dorset councils say two important outcomes were secured through the inquiry process: a proposed road toll for Ferry Road has been dropped, and bulk‑buy discounts remain for regular users.

Here’s the indexation rule in plain English. From April in any year after 2025, the Company may adjust tolls by no more than the percentage change in the UK Consumer Prices Index for January, compared with the January before this order was made. That means the earliest CPI‑linked update would be April 2026, using January 2026 versus January 2025. The CPI series used is the all‑items index published by the Office for National Statistics.

For you as a passenger, the timeline matters. The Company must first notify the Secretary of State. Not less than seven days later it must publish a notice in at least one local newspaper and on its website. Only 28 days after that published notice can the new tolls be charged, and even then not before 1 April. There also has to be at least 12 months between any two changes for a given class of traffic.

There are safeguards on transparency and profits, too. The order requires the Company to publish its latest annual accounts at least 28 days before any public notice of toll changes. It also limits shareholder distributions in any 12‑month period to no more than 6% of the Company’s net asset value, and none at all if the Motor Ferry Replacement Reserve is in deficit. The aim is clear: fund the next ferry before paying out dividends.

A practical detail that’s easy to miss: if a vehicle is towing one or more trailers, each trailer is charged the same toll as the drawing vehicle. And while the ferry tolls can change within the rules above, you cannot be charged a separate toll just to drive along Ferry Road - that idea was considered and ultimately removed in the final decision.

What this means for everyday budgets: the schedule of single fares set by the order applies from 30 December 2025, while discounts for books and passes continue to offer savings for frequent users. If you rely on the ferry for work or school, you’ll get notice before any CPI‑linked rise in 2026 - keep an eye on the Company’s website and your local paper for formal notices.

Media literacy moment: we’re drawing on the published statutory instrument and the record of the 2021 order it replaces. The 2021 schedules show how tolls were staged across several years; the 2025 order resets that framework and introduces the CPI rule instead of a simple cap. Reading primary documents like these helps you check claims and understand what’s actually in force.

If you want to track possible changes yourself, watch the January CPI reading and then look for any April notices. The ONS releases CPI monthly; the index to watch is “CPI, all items (2015=100)”. Knowing this helps you estimate the ceiling on any April adjustment before it arrives.