THE government yesterday announced a package of measures in a bid to ensure that transport of essential goods between the British Isles continues amid the coronavirus crisis.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the funding for ferry operators during the Downing Street daily press conference on Covid-19.

The financial support will last two months and is estimated to cost up to £17 million. The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed to cover 40 per cent of these costs.

Mr Shapps said that ministers have secured agreements with the French and Irish governments to continue shipping medicines and vital goods to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight and Isles of Scilly.

Shadow Northern Ireland secretary Louise Haigh welcomed the funding for ferries, saying that Labour had backed calls for support.

But she said that the funding is limited and that the government “must go much further to safeguard regional connectivity.”

“The next step has to be support for hauliers, who keep vital supplies moving and who are under serious pressure on Irish Sea routes,” she said.

“And it is over a fortnight since NI airports warned support was needed ‘within days’; every day of delay puts them under further strain.

“The UK government must act to ensure this public health crisis does not become a long-term crisis for regional connectivity.”

Mr Shapps also said that trials have begun into using drones to carry supplies and equipment to the Isle of Wight, in the fast-tracking of a previous programme which had £28m of funding.

An unspecified amount of funding has also been made available to keep trams running in Greater Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, the West Midlands and Tyne & Wear, he said.