Promoting the towpaths?

THE new rules being forced by British Waterways are showing it really has little concern in promoting its waterways and towpaths.

Boater John Brant was incensed to read of Rule 82, concerning camping by the towpaths, that is a new byelaw, and writes:

As a boater myself, firstly I have seldom seen people camping out on the towpaths, and on the rare occasions that I have seen this it has either been fishermen or some kids that are with mom and dad on a boat moored nearby. So I just cannot see what problems such people are causing, they seem to have the sense to use a wide section of towpath and so do not obstruct any passing by.

£500 fine

A potential £500 fine for such a terrible crime just seems outrageous to me, uninsured drivers on the road don't get fined that much. People are going to be totally shell-shocked when this is enforced, I thought British Waterways was trying to promote the waterways and the number of visitors that the waterways attract;  well certainly not like this.

It just seems so unnecessary, spiteful, and will achieve nothing at all. Unless of course the cash-strapped organisation sees fining people £500 for their ignorance to this unpublicised and unbelievable law as a good new way of fund raising.

Defiance

British Waterways I urge you to reconsider this one, I think that if you don't you will see a lot of defiance, and most of these campers will just set up for one night anyway, and probably out of normal daytime working hours. I think that enforcement will be near impossible anyway, it really will be laughed at surely.

However we all know how important fund raising is, please do not think that I do not recognise that, so maybe you might want to take my advice as to how to easily increase your income which I referred to in my email—Still seeing unlicenced boats.

John Brant Nb Dawn Mist.