Strategic Sea Services

The Department of Infrastructure considers robust sea links with our neighbours to be absolutely fundamental to the economic and social wellbeing of the Isle of Man.

A key element of the Isle of Man’s sea services is the User Agreement which has played an important role in helping to secure modern ships, market growth, competitive fares and improved services.

The commercial contract gives the ferry operator preferential use of the King Edward Pier linkspan in exchange for a guaranteed minimum level of service.

An agreement was first approved by Tynwald in 1995 to provide long-term stability and to enable Government to control aspects of fares and schedules.

The current Sea Services Agreement commenced 1 January 2020 replacing the linkspan User Agreement. The Sea Services Agreement continues to support the Isle of Man’s social and economic needs.

Further information is available via the downloadable documents on this page.