User group strategy

THE general 'annoyances' on such as narrowboatworld, facebook and other sites relating to the canal network are about continuous cruisers, the state of the canals and CaRT in general. (And many other petty consensuses of opinions) writes Peter Ponting.

As CaRT is struggling to function as a charity, with continuous budget cuts and lack of enforcement officers, the actual system is becoming a laughing stock. Breaches here there and everywhere, many reported by boaters before they actually occurred.

Not honest

CaRT are not actually honest and up-front with data, as to what they are intending to do, how they are going to do it, and when they are going to do it.

The Board of Trustees on the charity, seem to be more involved in point scoring than actually solving the problems that exist.

All this negativity, without a glimmer of hope for the future, obviously reflects through the users of the system, and will continue to do so until such time as the hierarchy at CaRT listen to the people who use the system.

Refuse to listen

I like many other people am a licensed paying narrowboat owner. I use the canal network, yet I have no say in the way the system is run or controlled. With the major source of income for CaRT coming from me and like minded people, they refuse to listen to our views and opinions.

A simple solution. Every canal within the system has regular users, such as myself. We cruise that canal regularly, noting the problems, the overstayers and the good points, which is why we cruise the same sections.

User group strategy

So why is it that CaRT have not elected a user group strategy, with volunteers who regularly use the canal having a dedicated hotline number to talk directly to a regional office, who can then act on the information given.

Let's set the scenario. The Gloucester & Sharpness Canal is 16 miles long. If four regular users became volunteers, covering four miles of the canal and reporting weekly, that canal would be covered. If the four met each other once a month and forwarded recommendations to CaRT, a strategy could be set in motion for any repair/maintenance.

People who use the canals want to be heard, to have a voice. Who better than the users to police the system?