Petition

[Grehan]

Keeping the pressure up on governments is always a good idea. A petition has been launched to try to poke the French government with a small pointed stick regarding their rivers and canals, and the need properly to value and maintain them - and encourage private and commercial users of the system.
One peniche = 10 lorries, and four times cheaper than road and half that of rail.

If you've used the 'voies navigables', please consider adding your name to this petition -
. http://www.petitionduweb.com/petition.php?petition=187
The procedure is pretty painless, but you may have to fudge a UK post-code into the French format of XXXXX (X=number).
'Foreign' users are just as relevant as native French ones. Thanks.

 

[saskia]

voted - but do you think they'll listen?

 

[Grehan]

Well who knows? Probably not I guess, but it doesn't devalue making the effort. Thanks.

 

[Sea Devil]

I find this petition from a (disgruntled?)lock keeper a little odd... The French do maintain all the active canals very well indeed and invest a great deal of time and effort in keeping the commercial penich running - giving them priority over pleasure craft - In fact on of the VNF posters on the Saone/Rhone says that one big push tow = 87 lorries!!! Compared to the UK and other countries the French waterway systems receive far more investment and a high proportion of heavy 'dirty' freight travels by canals - even Air Bus uses rivers and canals to transport parts for the aircraft.

Seems to me this petition is preaching to the converted...

Michael

 

[Grehan]

Hi Michael, hope all's well with you.

Everyone has the right to be disgruntled, but quite why a lock-keeper should think starting a petition would be a good idea . . . ? I did post the same 'invitation' on the motor boat forum and also got a gentle 'questioning' reply like yours http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1634919/an/0/page/0#1634919 to which I could only reply that attempting to keep the French government 'aware' of the valuable resource they do have, and its beneficial effect on road/rail traffic could not but be a good thing. I consciously did not suggest that there was a crisis, and I don't think anything's directed at the VNF.

Yes, I've seen the big car transporter tows on the Seine and they're great (if a little scary to encounter head-on!). Perhaps though, the smaller canals, where one doesn't see quite so much in the way of commercial peniche traffic - well, not as much as they were built for, not as much as they could carry - would benefit from better awareness from 'on high' and thus some money for maintenance would flow, or at least keep going. Our basin here in Moissac for example looks great, but for years (as I understand from the capitainerie) has needed remedial work below the surface (as it were) to stem some pretty significant leaks.

Anyway, having answered that MoBo point (kind of), blow me but someone posted, in separate thread about how great the French were, http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1634955/an/0/page/0/gonew/1#UNREAD that the facilities on their canals were naff (??) or non-existent (!!!). Caught me by surprise, I must say. Haven't a clue what the bloke meant. The canals are great, that's why we're here. Bit more money, bit more awareness and appreciation (compared with roads and motorways?) wouldn't do any harm.

Ah well, such is life . . . /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif