BOATERS TO BE ABLE TO BOOK PASSAGES AND DRY DOCK SPACE ONLINE

[DHutch]

21 September 2016

 

BOATERS TO BE ABLE TO BOOK PASSAGES AND DRY DOCK SPACE ONLINE

 

The Canal & River Trust will be introducing a new online self-service booking system which will allow boaters to book passage through some of the charity’s most famous landmarks.

 

When the system goes live on 14 November 2016, boaters planning trips through Anderton Boat Lift, Standedge Tunnel, Liverpool Canal Link, Ribble Link and Frankton Lock, or wanting to use Wigan and Ellesmere dry docks, will be able to book up to two years in advance. If these prove successful then the Trust will look to roll out online booking to other bookable passages and dry docks across the network.

 

Sitting within the boater’s portal on the Trust’s website, the system offers boaters 24/7 online access and takes out the paper element of the booking process. Boaters will know immediately if the booking has been successful and can track and change confirmed bookings online. Some things are staying the same: there will be no additional charges to those currently applied, and boaters can talk to Trust staff who can book passage for them if they prefer.

 

Mike Grimes, head of boating at Canal & River Trust, said: “This new online booking system will make it quick and easy for boaters to book passage through some of the most iconic spots on our canals and rivers. While some boaters will make trips specifically to see some of the wonders of our waterways, they’re also complex pieces of engineering that connect our network. Now boaters will be able to plan their cruises up to two years in advance, and will have the flexibility to change things in advance if their plans change without filling in paper forms and sending them off. We’re always looking for ways to make things simpler and better for boaters and if this is successful we’ll add more sites to the system in future.”

 

The system, developed with Concurrent Development, is being tested throughout September and October and the Trust has been working with boating organisations and trade partners to make customer sure it meets boater requirements.

 

ENDS

 

For further media requests please contact:

Fran Read, national press officer, Canal & River Trust

m 07796 610 427 e fran.read@canalrivertrust.org.uk

 

 

--------------------------------------------

Fran Read

National Press Officer

 

M 07796 610 427

Canal & River Trust, Toll House, Delamere Terrace, London, W2 6ND

Twitter: @CRTComms

[Jrtm]

Think its good for things like the anderton lift but think they need to also keep some genral open spaces for the people that cant plan going that way or dont know for a while and can then just turn up and try there luck.

[ditchcrawler]

Think its good for things like the anderton lift but think they need to also keep some genral open spaces for the people that cant plan going that way or dont know for a while and can then just turn up and try there luck.

The Lift already operates a pre booking system and I don't think they keep any spaces free, if you turn up without a booking you just take your chances.

[Arthur Marshall]

The Lift already operates a pre booking system and I don't think they keep any spaces free, if you turn up without a booking you just take your chances.

I've never booked and never had to wait more than a couple of hours for the Lift, usually much less.

[Jrtm]

Ive not been down it but intend to but not yet. But its not something we would book if didnt as we would ne er know what the weather and time we would be wanting to go.

[national velvet]

Travelled on Anderson lift this August without booking. No problem either down or up. Turned up and got virtually straight onto the lift both times. Most boaters we have talked to have said the same. Only need to book if you are in a dreadful rush and need to know that you can definitely travel when you need to.

Wonderful piece of Victorian engineering, not to be missed if you are in the vicinity.

Having said that booking of Standedge Tunnel is a different matter due to restriction of number of boats that can go through and days that it is available. Booking on line will be a bonus .

Edited September 21, 2016 by national velvet

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

It's £5 to book at the Anderton.

I didnt bother and turned up, no problem, just waited and took my turn.

 

I trust people will show the curtesy to cancel any booking when they find they no longer want/need it, giving someone else a chance.

[churchward]

It's £5 to book at the Anderton.

I didnt bother and turned up, no problem, just waited and took my turn.

 

I trust people will show the curtesy to cancel any booking when they find they no longer want/need it, giving someone else a chance.

They seem to be sensible about that situation at the Anderton lift in my experience. We like many just turned up and expected to wait our turn. The chap operating said there was a boat booked for the time we arrived but had not turned up so they would wait 10 mins and if they didn't arrive we would be next. Seemed fair enough to me.

[john6767]

They seem to be sensible about that situation at the Anderton lift in my experience. We like many just turned up and expected to wait our turn. The chap operating said there was a boat booked for the time we arrived but had not turned up so they would wait 10 mins and if they didn't arrive we would be next. Seemed fair enough to me.

We turned up without a booking at 10 in the morning. It took about an hour for someone to be available in the office to take a booking from us and we were given a time of 4pm as the first available slot. We went back to the boat and within 20 mins there was a knock on the boat from one of the operators, there was space on the next slot that we could have

 

So on that experience the current system is not very good, it seems unnecessary to have to wait for someone to be available in the office to take the booking, the only question would be if the online system would always charge you, or if you could make on the day bookings at no cost, and only be charged for advance bookings.

 

Frankton, unless it has changed is a bit different (simpler), for that you just phone up and give 24 hours notice, there is no concept of just turning up on the day and there is no charge involved.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

They seem to be sensible about that situation at the Anderton lift in my experience. We like many just turned up and expected to wait our turn. The chap operating said there was a boat booked for the time we arrived but had not turned up so they would wait 10 mins and if they didn't arrive we would be next. Seemed fair enough to me.

 

I was thinking more along the lines of someone wanting to book being put off when they see all the dates booked.

Just as you waited for a boat that never turned up, it would have been considerate of them to phone and cancel, (if possible of course).

[NilesMI]

The

 

I was thinking more along the lines of someone wanting to book being put off when they see all the dates booked.
Just as you waited for a boat that never turned up, it would have been considerate of them to phone and cancel, (if possible of course).

 

But that's the case now, with phone bookings.

 

The question is whether, despite how the bookings are made, a boat turning up to take the next available slot can take the place of a "no show". I presume that would still be the case at Anderton, so even when advanced bookings can be made online as well as by phone, you can still turn up and take the next available slot, whether that's one which is unbooked when you arrive or one which is booked, but becomes free because of a "no show".

 

In the case of the Ribble Link, if you don't turn up for a booked passage CRT will charge you a £10 admin fee.

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

We turned up without a booking at 10 in the morning. It took about an hour for someone to be available in the office to take a booking from us and we were given a time of 4pm as the first available slot. We went back to the boat and within 20 mins there was a knock on the boat from one of the operators, there was space on the next slot that we could have

 

So on that experience the current system is not very good, it seems unnecessary to have to wait for someone to be available in the office to take the booking, the only question would be if the online system would always charge you, or if you could make on the day bookings at no cost, and only be charged for advance bookings.

 

Frankton, unless it has changed is a bit different (simpler), for that you just phone up and give 24 hours notice, there is no concept of just turning up on the day and there is no charge involved.

I don't see what the problem was? You were on the lift before lunch, after turning up without a booking at 10am.

Seems good to me.

[1st ade]

Although not canal related we were shocked what Internet booking has done for some tourist attractions.

 

We holidayed (Early August) in Fort William. Mid week we drove to the Station with our friends and their two young daughters to ride on the Harry Potter Steam Train to Malaig.

 

Next free space, mid-October in two months time! We had similar luck with some of the other attractions. Fortunately the Sea Life Centre and a cruise on the Caledonian Canal were not quite so fully booked.

[NilesMI]

I'm surprised you were shocked, to be honest.

 

Booking online has made it easy to book. So everybody books, rather than turning up on spec. Consequently popular events get booked solid.

 

I have a plan to do the Ribble Link, not next year, but in 2018. So my first reaction to the news that from November online booking will be available for up to 2 years ahead, was to get my dates sorted out and book it - pronto.

[john6767]

I don't see what the problem was? You were on the lift before lunch, after turning up without a booking at 10am.

Seems good to me.

Yes it was fine as it worked out, but as it is a manual system we had to wait for almost an hour in the bowls of the building for someone to turn up and take the booking, doing it online removes the reliance of a person needing to be in the office to take the on the day bookings. Until we had a booking we could not have got on, even if there was space, according to the operator anyway.

[NilesMI]

The fact you can just turn up on the day without booking and not be charged means you are risking the vagaries of whether and when there is a slot available. You seem to have been particularly unlucky to find the office wasn't manned, but apart from the wait that incurred, did that mean you missed an otherwise available slot that you could have booked online?

 

I also suspect that when it becomes possible to book Anderton online, all such booking will be treated as "in advance" and attract the relevant charge in the same way as a phone booking is/does.

[john6767]

The fact you can just turn up on the day without booking and not be charged means you are risking the vagaries of whether and when there is a slot available. You seem to have been particularly unlucky to find the office wasn't manned, but apart from the wait that incurred, did that mean you missed an otherwise available slot that you could have booked online?

 

I also suspect that when it becomes possible to book Anderton online, all such booking will be treated as "in advance" and attract the relevant charge in the same way as a phone booking is/does.

I can't be certain but I believe that we did, whilst we were waiting I walked back up to the boat to check on the dog and spoke to the operator we had spoken to when we arrived, and he said we needed to get a booking before they could do anything.

 

It's no big deal, but It seems that if I could have booked online as we approached that would have been a lot smoother, hopefully the new system will allow that but if on the day online bookings attracts the fee then perhaps it does not help.