Julian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I have recently taken to walking the towpath ( trying to get rid of > Christmas) and as an amusement decided to count the boats as I walked > back. 20 boats > 7 with in date licences > 2 just expired 12/07 > 11 either no licence displayed or well out of date (4 months or more) > Only one of the 6 "regulars" had a winter mooring permit......... > > No wonder our licences are likely to go up by so > much......................................... > > I know that if DSS are paying the licence/mooring for someone they > don't get one for the window but I do feel that its taking the mick a > bit when less than 35% of boats are displaying an in date licence. > > I did the same on the offside moorings and out of all the boats, one > was not displaying anything and two non livaboards had licences that > expired 12/07. > > Its a pity BW cant have a new law that deals with licence evasion in > the same way as car tax if you don't renew the last known owner gets > a fine!
That is making an assumption that people have not renewed their licences. There may be any number of reasons for boats not displaying current licences. BW do not always send out licences before or at the renewal date, or the boatowner may not have been able to visit the boat to attach the new licence. There does not seem to be an equivalent law on water to that for road vehicles where failure to display a valid licence attracts a fine. Boatowners may not rush to put their new licence on the boat. If they know they have paid and BW know they have paid, what business is it of anyone else? Dorothy
