‘Failing to display' campaign

Published: Sunday, 26 July 2009

AS PART of its continued focus on tackling licence evasion, BW has launched a network-wide ‘failing to display' campaign.

Stickers reminding boaters to display their licence will be affixed to the windows of ‘non displaying' boats to highlight the drain on much needed resources when time is spent following up on seemingly unlicenced craft.

Simon Salem, Marketing and Customer Service Director, comments:

"We've a great many customers out on the cut who take the time to point out unlicenced boats. This, together with BW's robust enforcement processes and continued commitment to tackle the issue, is making a real difference in further reducing evasion rates across the network.

"Unfortunately much time and resource is wasted when, on investigation, unlicenced boats are simply found to be failing to display. This is time and money that could be much better spent tackling the real evaders who perhaps think that they are above contributing towards the cost of maintaining the waterways network."

The ‘failing to display' sticker for unlicenced boats is supported by further ‘failing to display' stickers for both boat index numbers and valid mooring permits.

£1.5 millions recovered

So far, in the first half of 2009, BW's patrol staff have recovered almost £1.5 millions of overdue licence fee income and currently have further enforcement proceedings underway on over 1,200 craft.

Since the introduction of a £150 late payment charge for boaters renewing their licence more than one month after expiry, there has been a marked increase in people renewing on time. Now, 95% of boats have their licence renewed within one month of expiry (up from 82%).