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BRITISH Waterways has just announced that the increase in boat licences from this August will be just 1%.
Also, it has scrapped the idea of doing away with the prompt payment discount. This is in response to the consultation paper on proposals for changes to boat licences which included the scrapping of the prompt payment discount, which it now states would be 'unfair to those customers who pay on time'. It therefore remains at 10%.
Charge for credit cards
However, for those still using a credit card, for either licence or mooring payment, a payment of £7.50 will be levied, to cover the charge made by the banks. The use of a debit card will incur no extra payment, to encourage boaters to use this latter method.
The Waterway Explorer Licence will not be withdrawn as proposed, but to encourage use of the internet, from 2011 it will be available only when purchased using the online system or by telephone to the national customer service team.
Savings
In its release, British Waterways states:
'BW will continue to develop significant cost savings from use of the internet for transactions with customers and publishing information. Money saved in this way means more for maintenance and repairs to the waterways. However, BW will continue to maintain alternative methods for people for whom the internet remains inconvenient or unavailable. We are now consulting with boat clubs and local licensing agents over a new method of reward for their continuing support of licence enforcement, in an environment where renewals are conducted online.'
Sally Ash, BW's Head of Boating, explains:
"These decisions have been made after careful consideration of consultation feedback from our boating customers and their representative organisations. We regret the need to apply a small general increase to licence fees, but are now confident that this is what the great majority of customers would prefer to the alternative contained within our original proposals.
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