Between 1 and 31 March, there will be ferry services from 7am, with the final ferry leaving Sandbanks at 9pm. Then, with effect from 1 April, the ferry will return to normal operating hours, with the first ferry leaving Sandbanks at 7am and the final ferry operating from Studland at 11.10pm.

Managing director of the Sandbanks Ferry Company, Mike Kean, said, “We are pleased that the ferry, alongside other parts of daily life, can now begin to return to normal operating hours as traffic volumes increase.

“We were pleased to have been able to maintain the ferry service throughout this third national lockdown for all the residents who relied on us to travel to work, university or local hospitals during this challenging time.

“I would also like to thank all ferry staff for their ongoing professionalism and hard work throughout the pandemic.”

Existing Covid safety precautions will remain in place until lifted by the government. These are:

• Passengers to pay by card if they can. Cash is accepted if they have no alternative means of payment
• All cyclists and foot passengers, aged 11 and over, must wear face coverings while queuing and on board unless a medical exemption is in place
• Motorcyclists should keep helmets on during queuing and for the duration of the journey
• Cyclists and foot passengers must remain in the marked-out social distancing boxes while on board, unless guided otherwise by staff
• Vehicle passengers should remain in their vehicle while on board the ferry, with windows closed. If necessary, the driver’s side windows may be lowered for ventilation
• Convertible vehicles must travel with roofs up and windows closed, with driver’s side window ventilation if required

Details of the ferry timetable can be found at: http://www.sandbanksferry.co.uk/timetable.php. Updates on any daily changes to the service or timetable can also be found at @sandbanksferry on Twitter and on the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sandbanksferry.