BRITTANY FERRIES RESPOND TO PROTEST AND CUT £50 OFF FARE FOR A CYCLE TRAILER

Brittany Ferries have knocked £50 off their ?absurd? (their comment) £60 fare for carrying cycle trailers, two days after Cycling Weekly raised the matter with the company.

Now it will cost £10 to take a cycle trailer, same price as for a bike.

The story appeared on Cycling Weekly?s website two days ago. It told of how Justin Lindsey-Noble and his partner Sue Taylor booked their tandem and Bob trailer on the Plymouth to Roscoff Brittany Ferry. The fare was £62 each, plus £10 for a bike or tandem. But their mouths dropped open when told it was £60 for the trailer!

When Lindsey-Noble protested, a customer services representative said: ?Having checked the matter with our management, I am sorry but our policy remains the same, regardless of where the trailer is parked and the charge will be the same as for cars. This policy is not expected to change and in order to be fair and consistent to all our clients, we cannot make exceptions?.

That was until Cycling Weekly asked Brittany Ferries Communications Director Stephen Tuckell to comment.

When told that the trailer measured barely three feet long and 12 inches wide, he said: ?Dear me. I think this has happened because cycle trailers are not frequently carried.

I think they?ve been overlooked. Can you send me details about the trailer??

We did so.

Two days later Mr Tuckell emailed to say:

?To charge £10 return for a bike and £60 return for a trailer is clearly absurd but has arisen because we carry very few and there has not been an applicable tariff.

?I have agreed with my pricing and customer service colleagues that we need to put one in place immediately and will henceforth charge for two bikes where there is a bike plus trailer, i.e. £20.

I think you will agree that this is fair.