Met a forumite yesterday....

[boatone]

A certain iconic Thames lock was unmanned yesterday afternoon so I amused myself for an hour assisting boaters through. Good to meet you Liml !
Don’t rely on the notices indicating lock keeper on duty. I was there for over an hour and no evidence of anyone on site. The dreaded so called double manning seems to be alive and well even in peak boating season and the number of complaints reaching me suggests it’s more widespread than justified.

 

[Big John]

The very description "double manning" is so misleading. One assumes it means there are two trained EA operatives working as a team at a lock to keep the flow of boats moving. Sadly it actually means quite the opposite.

 

[Parabordi]

The very description "double manning" is so misleading. One assumes it means there are two trained EA operatives working as a team at a lock to keep the flow of boats moving. Sadly it actually means quite the opposite.

Yeah its half manning

 

[LimL]

Good to meet you in person too! No lock keeper at Marsh Lock this morning either- amazing on a June Sunday... what’s going on?

 

[boatone]

No lock keeper at Marsh Lock this morning either- amazing on a June Sunday... what’s going on?

Well may you ask. It would appear that decisions reached at Customer Charter meetings and assurances given re improved provision of assisted passage during the boating season are simply not being honoured by the waterways management. In recent weeks we are noticing better coverage on weekdays than at weekends and the principle of priority locks being single manned seems to be of little consequence.
i can only encourage any boater who thinks the situation is unsatisfactory to register a formal complaint by email to. Enquiries_THM@environment-agency.gov.uk
There is also a form on the TMBA website for reporting locks unmanned during duty hours - but please do ensure any report relates to the duty hours as shown: http://www.tmba.org.uk/machform/view.php?id=10629