As a liveaboard constant cruiser, I have some very real concerns about the transfer of British Waterways to charity status. My dealings with them as they are have been straightforward, and their gold license offers better value for a boat of our size than the corresponding EA license.
The first concern is the lack of, and disjointed, information that’s reaching boaters. Very little has been done to address this, and apart from a single event, in London, on a school night, I have seen nowehere that we, as boaters, can ask questions.
I had a very nice public response on Facebook from John Benyon about the consultations – but that was pretty much a get off line and get in queue. I’ve had no response to anything since.
Today is the last day of the public consultation. I have seen nothing on TV, heard nothing on radio, no emails from governing bodies suggesting that it was an important time to respond. It’s not just important – it’s vital for everyone who walks along the riverbanks, who canoes or kayaks, who rows on the river, sails on the river, lives alongside the river or lives, like us, on the river.
With regard to specific questions raised by the second, equally badly run, consultation on the transfer of British Waterways to a charity - my thoughts:
