New speed limit on tidal Thames

[blackrose]

Good news for anyone planning a trip down the tidal Thames.

 

The PLA have just announced a new speed limit of 12 knots for fast passenger boats, which may make the trip a bit more comfortable for those on slower boats.

 

I'm not sure when it's actually being implemented.

[WJM]

Good for us in the long thin ditch crawlers - but I wonder if it could have a detrimental effect on the overall success of the river as a means of transport. I have been commuting from Greenwich to West London recently and find the high speed catamarans a viable alternative to the Tube/DLR. They must push something close to 40 knots at times. Stifle them and you could kill a whole part of our transport infrastructure. I hope Uncle Ken has given this some proper thought.

[Yoda]

At 12 knots its probably still faster than other form of transport.

[carlt]

Did you see the top gear where they had a race across London. Clarkson by power boat, May by car, Hammond rode a pushbike and The Stig took the tube.

 

Very amusing but, iirc, I think the bike won?

[NB Alnwick]

At 12 knots its probably still faster than other form of transport.

 

We may have to re-set the top limit on our governor - we can only reach 10 kt at the current setting!

[magnetman]

Maybe some of the expensive riverside flats are suffering from bank erosion.

[magpie patrick]

I hope Uncle Ken has given this some proper thought.

 

Uncle Ken doesn't have any say over the Port of London, PoLA are a not for profit trust. They act as port authority and navigation authority and are self funding. Don't know why they've brought this restriction in. A couple of years ago I was taken in a RIB from Canary Wharf to Putney in about 15 minutes: exhilarating!

[chris w]

Maybe some of the expensive riverside flats are suffering from bank erosion.

 

At the inflated prices there is a definite probability of bank erosion!!!

[Machpoint005]

At the inflated prices there is a definite probability of bank erosion!!!

 

But mainly Northern Rock ...

 

Ian

[Tim Lewis]

Did you see the top gear where they had a race across London. Clarkson by power boat, May by car, Hammond rode a pushbike and The Stig took the tube. Very amusing but, iirc, I think the bike won?

Did you also notice that Jeremy Clarkson got out of his boat in the Royal Docks - not thr River Thames - don't remember seeing him take his boat through the lock!Tim

Did you see the top gear where they had a race across London. Clarkson by power boat, May by car, Hammond rode a pushbike and The Stig took the tube. Very amusing but, iirc, I think the bike won?

Did you also notice that Jeremy Clarkson got out of his boat in the Royal Docks - not thr River Thames - don't remember seeing him take his boat through the lock!Tim

[saltysplash]

A freind of mine used to live on his Dutch barge at some moorings just by Butlers Wharf at Tower Bridge.

 

A fantastic mooring with tower bridge lit up at night but during the day the wash from trip boats made being on board very unpleasant.

 

The 12knt limit is only for the central london section apparantly so they can still get up on the plane between Greenwich and Wapping.

On the London News this afternoon they timed the new trip and found it only made a 5 minute difference so no great loss

[fender]

I fist saw this in the Metro and the Standard this week. A statement of sorts was made by the PLA and I found it here (part way down the page) they said it was a temporary measure and were going to consult and eventually make law a new permanent speed restriction

 

(email statement from PLA can be found down the page) http://www.rib.net/forum/showthread.php?t=22690

 

Interesting the originator of this topic asked if I thought the Thames was getting more rough. I do and the PLA certainly thinks so. I have videos of the cats taken from Limehouse and the South bank and I think their speed is too great especially considering that the Thames is quite narrow through the centre of London and the restricted sightlines through the bridges have to be taken into consideration. If they were the only boats about I wouldnt view it a problem but that is not the case and other river users must be taken into consideration, even narrowboats.