Thames Speed Limit Changes?

Vanilla

Vanilla

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 Jun 2005
Messages
857
Location
I'm in London / Boat in Solent
Visit site
Sorry if this is old news but from from Evening Standard today.

"The speed limit for boats on the Thames has been halved amid fears of collisions between the increasing number of fast passenger craft.

All vessels have been ordered by the Port of London Authority to keep to just 12 knots, down from 24 knots, between Greenwich and central London"
 
I'm inclined to read this with raised eyebrows!

To the best of my knowledge, there is no existing speed limit below Wandsworth Bridge althouh PLA bye laws do provide for vessels making excessive wash, navigating dangerously etc.

I can also see no reference to any such changes on the PLA website.

No doubt someone will now pop up with chapter and verse.......
 
Can't always blame Thames Clippers.
They are under contract from Kommissar Ken
and TfL to provide a fast , timed "bus" service with
financial penalties if the schedule slips.

They appear behind you bl**dy quick but don't
make that much wash . I've had more wash from
more traditional river users or mobos towing a big
hole in the water behind them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Westminster to Upper Pool does get very crowded at
times. Sticking a flipping battleship opposite the Tower
doesn't help either.

Its more a problem of numbers rather than speed.

I don't work for Thames Clippers.
 
Its not the multihull clippers its the blimming single hull "house brick" trip boats that cause much of the problem.
Now if it was like this all the time..........
Early.jpg
 
I would be surprised if this story turns out to be kosher. At a recent ATYC meeting that I attended the PLA Harbour Master advised that they did not want to restrict boat speeds, because they are keen to promote use of the river for passenger boats.
 
The Clipper services I used on New Year's Eve, and Day, doidn't hang about and had the sticks well forward from Tower to Greenland. Having said that, I was "looked over" by a PLA boat at about 09:00 yesterday morning doing about 8.5 knots in the Pool. Didn't say anything voice or vhf, just waved after a close run by and shot off downriver.
 
On today's BBC ONE London news they had David Snelson (Harbour Master I think) telling us why it had been brought in - the number of Clippers has increased twofold in the last 6 months! He also said it will be extended to all boats later - so it isn't exactly clear after that, 12 knots seems to be aimed purely at Clippers at the moment.
Oh that my boat could do 12 knots........sigh
 
Think if you'd have gone for a cruise downriver from Abingdon last August your boat might have exceeded 12knots quite easily Ian (OTG anyway).
 
From the horse's mouth -

Thank you for your recent query regarding a new speed limit on the tidal Thames.

I can confirm that recent media reports relate to a temporary requirement for certain high-speed passenger vessels to adhere to a 12 knot speed limit in central London.

In the wider context, the PLA has, with the active involvement of vessel operators, recently undertaken a comprehensive formal risk assessment to identify what additional risk control measures we need to consider to ensure that the risks to public safety and general navigation posed by the operation of increasing numbers of high-speed vessels in central London are managed to 'as low as reasonably practicable'.

One such identified risk control measure is the implementation of a mandatory speed limit in central London.
As such, the PLA is currently drafting revisions to its Byelaws, which include such a mandatory speed limit.
In line with long established procedures, the PLA will be consulting widely among the port and River community on its draft Byelaw proposals. We hope to start the informal consultation process in the next month or so.

Details of the consultation and our proposals will be published on the PLA website in due course.



Julian Parkes
Harbour Master (Safety Management System)
Port of London Authority

Tel: 01474 562266

Thanks to Bern on rib.net for posting it there.

Another piece of politically correct lunacy - how long before speed cameras on the bridges?

Never has been an accident related to speed (as opposed to poor navigation) on the Thames, no reason to kill an industry. Thames Clippers should sue.
 
I was also surprised by this news story as I had not seen anything in the PLA Notices to Mariners. However, there is a link to the press release on the PLA home page (http://www.portoflondon.co.uk).

At present the limit only applies to passenger boats "in central London and also in the area near Greenwich Pier". However, they "will shortly propose the introduction of a strict speed limit of 12 knots in central London for all types of craft"
 
As you are obviously very familiar with this stretch of water,why is it "Another piece of politically correct lunacy" to introduce a speed limit ?
 
Because it's based on the opinions of people wearing sandals, and "possible risk", rather than actual risks and accident root cause analyses.

dv.
 
And because with a 12knot limit, people turn their brains off and do 12 knots, whether that's too fast or not. With my boat i need to be doing <7 or >14 or else I make a huge wake. But if some twit puts a limit in and I can't make the time up when it's safe I'll probably do 12.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

T
Notices to Mariners - Week 45
Replies
0
Views
439
tillergirl
T
T
Notices to Mariners - Week 44
Replies
1
Views
580
mrming
mrming

Share this page

Top