The changes proposed by Canal River Trust to the licensing structure where “continual cruisers” will not only pay an above inflation increase for the next 5 years on the “standard” license fee but also an annual surcharge are just one more attack on continuous cruisers !
This proposed increase and the surcharge are being justified on the flawed basis that we, the continuous cruisers, use more of the system and facilities than boats with a mooring !
According to CRT’s figures there are 5,000 continual cruisers against a total licensed boating community of 33,000.
Most boats that come out of their moorings each year tend to cover far greater distances over the year and at higher speeds than a plodding itinerant boater !
At this time of austerity and in the middle of a cost of living crisis for CRT to propose these options directed at a minority group of possibly some of the poorest of our society, certainly a group living on low incomes, must call into question their management’s moral compass and it’s so called ‘charitable’ status !
Horatio Jagrat (disgusted puddle pirate)
Call me old fashined if you like but 5000 and 33000 are nice round numbers arent they ?
I would like to know the actuel numers instead of just the rounded up numbers from cart.
If your interested the NBTA have a ballot going about this stuff. I dont think you have to be one of there member to take the survey
NBTA is balloting members with a survey to see if the membership wants to oppose CRT’s decision and if so what action you want to take to stop it. The ballot is open now and will end on Monday 9th October.
TAKE PART IN THE BALLOT HERE https://questionpro.com/t/AUArSZzD2g
The official announcement for anyone interested in reading.
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/news/changes-to-our-boat-licence-fees
Seems to me that there are a few holes in some of the ‘logic’ there and they came up with this cr@p after ‘consulting’ with boaters ? What a crock !
people who live in houses, work in offices and know nothing about us our lifestyle or the canals we live on.
They arent exactly known for their honesty or their brains, remember the blatent lies they told about the re-branding ?
It only cost £60,000…… honest !
Yes, I do remember that, I wonder how much they’ve spent on nice new shiny blue signs since then. I’m at Nantwich at the moment and theres blue signs everywhere !
Life’s better by blue signs mate…
This whole campaign by CRT is stupid, they claim they will raise more money from other users and not just boaters, so fishermen, cyclists and people walking the towpaths will be providing a cash contribution ! I doubt that ! In the end it will be boaters who will be paying and by targetting the minority group of cc’ers canal river trust have revealed their true colours, it is both an obvious attack and another attempt to get cc’ers off the cut !
If there are 33,000 licenced boats does anyone know how many boats there are altogether, and does the difference between suggest that number are unlicensed?
CRT have a tendency to ’round up’ numbers and have in the past blatently lied about financial issues, I’ll try to get accurate numbers and will come back to you on that one. Unless anyone else knows.
To be honest I rarely see unlicensed boats. Theres a few abandoned boats and a few sunken or burned out wrecks around the system but they get removed (eventually). Theres also some unlicenced boats in private boatyards and marinas but they’re on ‘private waters’ so dont need a licence unless they come out on the cut so all in all I’d say very few boats on the canals are without a valid licence.
hth