Crinan Canal 2016

[ash]

This is a cut n' paste from an email received from Kip Marina

CRINAN CANAL SPRING UPDATE 2016



Ahead of the new season launching this April we are delighted to bring you details of the key changes that are taking place.

From the start of the season the licence fee for the Crinan Canal will be reduced to £11.95 per metre (£9.32p.m. for the return passage).

This change in pricing is a direct response to boater feedback and follows a decision by Scottish Canals to no longer provide the Crinan assisted passage scheme. The new rate has been set in-line with pre-assisted passage rates charged.

Scottish Canals does however recognise that some boaters require support and as such we are pleased to confirm that we have agreed a partnership with Yot Spot, a local business, to offer an independent assisted passage scheme. This service will be available from Friday 1st April to Sunday 30th October and will be priced no more than £60. Further information about the service will shortly be posted on the Customer Hub section of our website (scottishcanals.co.uk).

I have attached details of the Crinan Canal 2016 operating hours along with some key passage points for you to read at your leisure.

Keeping in touch

From April 2016 Scottish Canals will only be communicating with boating customers by email and will no longer be posting out letters. As customer service is very important to us it is essential that we have your accurate email address on file.

If you would like us to hold an e mail address on record please send details of your name, email address and location to alec.howie@scottishcanals.co.uk and we will update our records.



Russell Thomson

Head of Customer Operations (Scotland)

Ash

[marisca]

Scottish Canals are at it! In 2014 it was circa £90 (I've thrown away the green tickets), now they want £117 (33% hike). Last year it was £145, this year with their £60 assistance deal it is £177, a mere 15% hike.
I know they claim to be losing money on running the Crinan but there is a supply/demand balance and I reckon they are going to be worse off. Is the plan to keep hiking the charges until they can close it 'cos no-one uses it?

[mm5aho]

I heard about this last night at a CCC meeting in Glasgow.
It seems that my poem / song (alternate lyrics to the song from Vital Spark company - "The Crinan Canal for Me.") has done the rounds and was read at a Canals meeting somewhere. Printed in CCCs last year book too.

It hopefully got the point across with some humour.

But the loudest message must have been the lack of traffic last year. Boats were transiting in dribs and drabs, only a few a day. All taking longer that needed due to having to train the new lock keepers on the way though.

With inflation at approximately zero, we could claim this increase is 1000 times the rate of inflation!