EA "very pleased" with early figures
This year’s 12% increase in the cost of a Thames licence has failed to have the effect some predicted after the Environment Agency released figures recently showing an increase in the amount of private powerboats registered on the river.
According to the figures, from 1 January this year to 31 May, 7770 motorboats registered with the Environment Agency, up over 250 boats from the same period last year.
Eileen McKeever, Thames waterway manager, said: “We are very pleased with the numbers of private powered boats that have registered so far this year. At the end of 2006 the over all number of registered private powered boats was up.
“These figures are very encouraging given the increase in the boat registration fee. We will continue to monitor numbers and hope that we will see an overall increase at the end of 2007.”
You can read more about this story in July’s MBM, out 21 June.
