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British Waterways’ 2011 National Boat Check: Licence Evasion Rates Remain Stable

Since the March 2010 National Boat Check, licence evasion across BW’s waterways in England and Wales has remained stable, with 95.1% of boats holding licences.

The breakdown for the regions saw the South East in pole position with 97.2% of boats holding licences, followed by Wales and the West with 95.4%, the North with 94.8%, the Midlands with 94.7% and the South (London and Kennet & Avon) with 92.8% of boats licensed.

Over the course of the year British Waterways seized 80 boats, of which 34 were in such poor condition they had to be destroyed and 14 boats were sold to recover the unpaid licence fees and associated costs. The remainder will be sold or destroyed once the legal process involved is complete.

Simon Salem, BW’s marketing director, comments: “Our enforcement teams have done a hard job well this year and I want to thank them for their work. I’d also like to thank all our customers who license on time and display their current licences, reducing the work that has to be done on enforcement. I can assure you that we will continue to take action on cases where people are not paying.”