Does CaRT care anymore?
I'VE ALWAYS said praise where praise is due and this time it is due to Upton Council for listening to the people on the ground, or in this case—on the water, who know, writes Keith Gudgin.
Then taking the very common sense decision to veto CaRT's potentially dangerous mooring ban on the Seven at Upton. (CaRT's Upton moorings decision thrown out.) Thank you Upton Council for listening. This has been very good for your public relations. A public body that listens—a very rare commodity indeed.
Poor at public relations
CaRT on the other hand is, I feel, very poor at public relations. All it wants is good news, respect and praise. Well they have to earn it. It wants us boaters to tell them when we see things that are not right, or are potentially dangerous. On this I have sent them emails complaining about its bad work practices that could lead to a dangerous situation, yet not even had the courtesy of a reply. I have also sent emails on numerous occasions telling about its contractors depositing hedge and grass cuttings into the canal, without this very illegal practice being stopped nationwide.
I now no longer intend to report to CaRT when I see its contractors causing or permitting a substantial amount of vegetation to be cut so near to an inland freshwater that it falls into it; and then failing to take all reasonable steps to remove the vegetation from the water as required by the Water Resources Act 1991 Section 90 (2).
Enforcement Agency
I shall in future just take as much evidence as I can, including photos of personnel and vehicles and just report it to the Enforcement Agency. Perhaps when the worker, the contractor and CaRT all get a £2,500 fine they might just then start to do something about it. Section 90 (3) states: 'A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level four on the standard scale'. I.e. Maximum £2,500.
So you can see it is not a trivial offence. I hope more and more canal users will report this disgusting illegal practice to the Enforcement Agency in order to get it stopped as soon as possible. No point in reporting it to CaRT as it does not seem to have the required effect.
One rule for us...
Why do CaRTs workforce think they can moor their boats where they tell us boaters we cannot moor! Not good public relations I think. As many boaters will know CaRT work boats are regularly moored on lock landings, visitor moorings, water points etc. for extended periods without any workmen in the area.
CaRT's own handbook states, page 9: Don't moor:
• In lock approaches or in lock flights
• Near swing or lift bridges
• Near weirs
• Near sharp bends
• By blind spots
• In or opposite turning points
• At junctions...
I recently sent two emails, with photos, to CaRT about its boats being moored on lock landings and visitor moorings, (the one in the picture is just a few feet from the lock) but didn't even get an acknowledgement reply. It is certainly very quick in condemning us boaters if we moor where we should not be or even over-stay our welcome. How about enforcing the same rules upon its own workforce and have a little ‘do as we do' and not just 'do as we say' attitude. If you lead by example you may just find people will follow.
Compensation
I have had on occasion to breast up onto a CaRT work boat to get to a lock landing. What would happen if one of us slipped and hurt ourselves because we had to traverse one of its boats that was moored where it should not be? How much would that cost in compensation, medical fees etc?
The photo shows a work boat at Lock 1 on Huddersfield Narrow Canal completely blocking the lock landing without any workmen anywhere about. The only way to get ashore was to breast up to it, clamber into and out of it operate the lock and clamber through it again to get aboard my boat. Not a safe practice but the only way at that location.