Cost of Visitor Licence on the Thames

[Hugh Foulis]

Is this correct?

I moor on the Wey. On Friday at approx 15.10 I took the boat on to the Thames for an overnight stop at Chertsey. At Sunbury lock I explained I would be on the Thames overnight and back on the Wey by lunchtime the following day. The lockie told me that this was two days on the river and as such it would be cheaper to pay the week rate, I did ask if this was correct and was told yes so I finished up paying over £50 for less than 24 hrs on the river.

So on the last 3 occasions I have been down on the Thames I have paid 3 different rates and been given 3 different periods on the licence, all for no more than 24 hrs on the river.

To add to my chagrin, Chertsey was self service on Saturday so I had to operate the lock (dont mind) explain to a party (literally) of day hirers how to operate the lock for their way back, give them some tips for using the river and plan a journey, they were expecting to get to Reading and back in a day (none of which I mind) then take abuse from another lock user because it was not filling quickly enough for him (which I very much do mind).

If anyone has a name of someone at the EA that I can write to I should be grateful.

HF

 

[mikemanor]

The licensing period is midnight to midnight, so an overnight could be 2 days in which case it would be cheaper to buy a one week ticket.

But on page 5 it states: "The term ‘day’ is the 24 hours commencing after midnight and finishing at midnight". I recall on a visit a couple of years ago the lockie saying that the one day licence covered the rest of the day of issue and then the next full day - so I paid for one day and got a plate until the end of the following day.

Perhaps they interpret this differently.

The visitor Tariffs are here on page 5:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/289757/LIT_7452_e083da.pdf

 

[Hugh Foulis]

I have had a phone call from Tony Riley of the TMBA offering some very welcome assistance and support with this. I dont expect the TMBA to fight this battle for me but I am very grateful for Tonys help and for someone to be able to discuss the issue with.

Mikemanor, thanks for the link, Tony sent me one too, I have had a look and I am of the opinion, differently to you, that a day is in fact more than 24 hrs. Why? Well if the EA had meant a day to be a calendar day ie Monday or Saturday or whatever, then it could define a day much more simply than it has. It could say "day" shall be a period from 00.01 until 23.59 or it could say that a day visitor licence shall expire at midnight on the day it was issued.
By saying as it does the term day is the 24 hrs commencing after midnight and ending at midnight, then it must mean a period greater than 24 hrs. How do I conclude this? Lets us take a Saturday as an example.
The 24 hrs commencing after midnight on Saturday morning must by definition go past midnight on Saturday night and therefore into Sunday otherwise it would not be 24 hrs. Then for the period to end at midnight, the only midnight available for it to finish must be midnight Sunday night.
This would accord with my previous understanding that a 24 hr visitor licence issued today finishes at midnight tomorrow. This is how it was put to me a few years ago by a very helpful Lockie who seemed to want to encourage and welcome visitors to the river.

I shall now find out what the EA think of my position.

Very grateful to you Tony for your call and assistance, a good reason to be a member of TMBA if one was needed.

 

[mikemanor]

No, I think we agree. What happened to me was a one day ticket lasted the rest of the day of issue plus the following day. This was the lockie's interpretation of the rules.

As an aside, in reading the rules for this year I noted that the rules for a reciprocal licence has changed. (I moor on other EA waters) It used to be one consecutive period of 15 days for free, but now it is 2 periods of 7 days which do not have to be taken consecutively. I think this is better.

 

[boatone]

As an aside, in reading the rules for this year I noted that the rules for a reciprocal licence has changed. (I moor on other EA waters) It used to be one consecutive period of 15 days for free, but now it is 2 periods of 7 days which do not have to be taken consecutively. I think this is better.

Something else the TMBA lobbied for - most visitors with a two week holiday couldn't use a 15 day licence effectively.

 

[Hugh Foulis]

Sorry Mike, I misread your post. We are in complete agreement and in fact what happened to you is what I understood the position to be and what I expected to happen last week.

HF

 

[mikemanor]

Something else the TMBA lobbied for - most visitors with a two week holiday couldn't use a 15 day licence effectively.

Well done TMBA.

On my last visit I slipped in at Benson, went through Tedders and spent 5 days on the tidal Thames. We then came back up to Benson. So I lost 5 days of reciprocal licence and had to pay some extra. With the new rules it will all be free

 

[oldgit]

The "new" method of calculating payment was certainly better for those of us visiting the Thames for around seven days and unable to stay up there longer due to having to work for a living.
Busy folk now far more likely to snatch a series of shorter breaks as opposed to the traditional 14 day holiday and revision will have encouraged folks like me to come round while not having to pay for a extra further week we cannot use.
The new rates came about as a result of the EA being made aware of the situation by TMBA.