IWA condemns licence proposals
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Inland Waterways
Article Date: 2007-10-15
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Under the new proposals, the cost of a licence would increase by about nine per cent a year in real terms, meaning a compound increase of nearly 33 per cent over the next three years.
In a statement, the IWA said that it "cannot condone such excessive price rises above the rate of inflation", and added that "by introducing these proposals, BW is adding to an ever increasing burden that boaters are being called on to bear".
Recent price hikes to have hit the boating community include higher Boat Safety Scheme charges, rising mooring fees, as well as the possible impact on fuel prices that the new policy on the use of red diesel is likely to have.
Roger Squires, deputy IWA national chairman said: "Increases like this will simply deter people from going on the waterways, to the ultimate detriment of the £6 billion regeneration they have so far promoted."
He added: "The boater is being 'mugged' as the easy target that is visible. We have all seen from the 'Save our Waterways' campaign that boaters are only three per cent of the users, the other 97 per cent are not being 'mugged' simply because they are not such an easy touch. What about 'protection for the boaters'?"
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