CaRT boater satisfaction below 50%

THE Canal & River Trust (CaRT) boater satisfaction has fallen to its lowest level ever.

Information released in the last few days shows that just six months into its 2022/23 financial year it has fallen to 44%. The full year target is 60%.

The percentages measure boaters that are either ‘very satisfied’ or ‘slightly satisfied’.

Allan Richards goes back through Annual Reports to extract the figures.

Boater satisfaction figures

CaRT did not start recording boater satisfaction in annual reports as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) until its 2016/17—76% (Target 70%)

2016/17 – 76% (Target 70%)
2017/18 – 70% (Target 72%)
2018/19 – 61% (Target 72%)
2019/20 – 60% (Target 73%)
2020/21 – 54% (Target N/A)
2021/22 – 55% (Target 67%)

In its last Annual Report, CaRT attempted to excuse its poor performance on boater satisfaction as follows:

'2021/22 was an unsettled year on many fronts and this is reflected in our performance against many of our targets, especially with regard to boater and colleague (employee) satisfaction'.

Failed to acknowledge substantial fall

However, the trust’s statement fails to acknowledge a substantial fall in boater satisfaction that pre dates Covid, inflation and water resource problems. Indeed, it fails to acknowledge that the ‘satisfied figure’ actual went up marginally on the previous ‘lockdown’ year!

However, despite that temporary upturn, the downward spiral continues with the half year figure at 44%.

How soon will it be before 44% drops to 38% and the number of satisfied boaters is half Cart's starting figure of 76%?