Who gets priority loading on to ferries?

We operate some priority arrangements for certain vehicles, falling into two categories. A higher level of priority is given to emergency service vehicles and in-service public transport buses. We aim to get these vehicles loaded and unloaded as quickly as possible on the first available ferry.

Staff on duty and any contractors working for us at the crossing are given priority to get on the next available ferry where possible, but these vehicles would not get any other special treatment in terms of loading or unloading order.

We do have a small number of other vehicles that have been granted a concession to use the priority lane or have been granted ad hoc permission in advance to use the priority lane, usually for medical or safety related purposes. Funeral and wedding cars can also request permission in advance to use the priority lane purely for traffic management, and we would then aim to get those vehicles on the next available ferry and ideally let the vehicles travel in convoy. Such vehicles do not benefit from any other priority in terms of the order of loading or unloading from the ferry.