A FARE increase for Windermere Ferry users has now come into effect.

Cumbria County Council (CCC), which operates the Bowness to Sawrey service, has confirmed that the charge for pedestrians has doubled from 50p to £1, while the charge for cyclists has also doubled from £1 to £2.

The fare for a motorcycles and horses has risen from £1.60 to £2, while the charge for cars and caravans has gone up from £4.40 to £5.

Minibuses and large vans will now be charged £10, an increase of £2.20, and following a revision of vehicle categories, all vehicles over 6m will also be charged £10.

The changes, which came into effect on April 1 and are the first fare increase for four years, were approved by CCC in February.

A CCC spokesperson said comments on the new pricing structure would be taken into consideration as part of the next annual fare review in February 2020.

The ferry, Mallard, is now back operating on a full timetable after last month’s maintenance and inspection lay off.