Thames passenger boat service proposals
02 Feb 2010
Passenger boats on the Thames Tideway - perhaps not as ‘empty’ as the report implies? – photo: Waterway Images
London’s River Thames passenger boat services should be developed to carry an extra 12 million passengers per year says the think-tank Policy Exchange.
INLAND WATERWAYS: A group of leading politicians and academics that goes under the name of the think-tank Policy Exchange says the capital’s passenger boat services should be developed to carry an extra 12 million people a year, writes Harry Arnold.
In a recent report, the group says the capital’s river is woefully underused for commuting and Robert McIlveen, editor of the report, says the river’s like a huge motorway running through the heart of the city that, until now, has been left empty.
The scheme would require an initial outlay of £30m - money that’s not currently available. However, with relatively little extra investment passenger numbers on the existing Thames Clipper boats have doubled since 2007, which demonstrates the demand for an expanded service.
Mr McIlveen points out Brisbane, Hamburg, Bankok and a dozen other cities have successful transport systems on water.
In a recent report, the group says the capital’s river is woefully underused for commuting and Robert McIlveen, editor of the report, says the river’s like a huge motorway running through the heart of the city that, until now, has been left empty.
The scheme would require an initial outlay of £30m - money that’s not currently available. However, with relatively little extra investment passenger numbers on the existing Thames Clipper boats have doubled since 2007, which demonstrates the demand for an expanded service.
Mr McIlveen points out Brisbane, Hamburg, Bankok and a dozen other cities have successful transport systems on water.
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