THE National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) anxiously awaits details of the new licensing structure.
The association reports it is gearing up to ballot its members on what actions they are willing to take to oppose any attack by Canal & River Trust on what is describes as the itinerant liveaboard community, it tells:
Misleading consultation survey
'CaRT carried out a misleading ‘consultation survey’ between February and April 2023 in which it proposed that boaters without a home mooring could be forced to pay higher licence fees than those with a mooring and that many of these boaters are itinerant liveaboards and NBTA members. This divisive and possibly unlawful move would threaten the future of the entire boating community and begin a process of pricing low-income boaters off the water.
If CaRT attempts to charge boats without home moorings more than those with, the NBTA has resolved to ask their members a) whether they oppose this and, if so, b) what kinds of collective actions they would be willing to take'.
Actions
The NBTA states it will put forward the following actions for consideration:
Licence Strikes—Collectively withhold payment of our licence fees.
Sound the Alarms—Collectively blow our horns at the same predetermined start and end time all over the network.
Blockades—Bring our boats together at a number of key locations on the network to obstruct the navigation.
Protests—March on the CaRT Offices.
Flotillas—Travel in a group with banners down the navigation.
Picket CaRT events/stalls—Use the CaRT's publicity to inform the public of the attack on boaters.