How can there be a 'maintenance fault'?

I NOTE with interest the 'Maintenance Fault' closure excuse at Watford Locks, writes Steve Bean.

I say this as yesterday I spoke with a CaRT employee whose attention I drew to a paddle in a clearly terminal state. After a glance at it I was told "they're all like that"—although it was the worst I'd seen in the flight—"there's no maintenance now".

Can be no fault

So, if there's no maintenance (which I'm sure we all really know) there can surely be no 'maintenance fault'.

From further conversation I was informed that things were so much better when he'd worked for British Waterways and elicited an admission that there was a 'wait till it breaks' policy.

I'd rather not say where I was to prevent his identification as he seemed a rare experienced CaRT person who actually knew about canals! But I will just add I wouldn't have been there but for another failure and closure elsewhere!