Waterway users call for action

The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) has called on British Waterways (BW) to publish 'quickly' its plans for new procedures to deal with complaints and grievances from waterway users.

IWA has been in discussion with BW for six months over new proposals and the Association has now demanded that BW publish plans to resolve the current unsatisfactory situation as a matter of urgency, and that waterway users be given a minimum three-month consultation period to comment, with a view to new proposals being in place before the end of 2003.

IWA's proposals for new arrangements include:

• A more streamlined and responsive internal BW complaints

procedure. BW's new management structure should make this possible.

• Reform of the office of the Waterways Ombudsman, with a broader

and more clearly understood remit, the role more widely publicised
and that the Ombudsman's appointment be demonstrated to be
independent.

• A small standing committee of senior representatives from the

major waterway user organisations, to meet with BW at the most
senior level, both on a regular planned basis and on additional
occasions to deal with specific issues in a timely manner.

• A new consultation code of practice that meets or exceeds

Cabinet Office best practice guidelines for public sector written
consultations.

The Association is anxious that new procedures operate in an efficient and effective manner so that complaints and grievances are dealt with quickly and fairly in a transparent fashion, but without setting up any new wasteful administration. IWA does not support suggestions for a separate waterway regulator, seeing that as a route towards wasteful bureaucracy, the expense of which would only be passed on to licence holders.

John Fletcher, IWA's national chairman, said "British Waterways' admission that there is both an actual and perceived accountability deficit in respect of its activities, and an expressed determination to address those issues, is a very significant move to improve the relationship with users. However, we have been talking to BW for six months and it is now time for action. BW knows what we want, its senior management has accepted that our proposals are reasonable, and it understands that proper consultation with waterway users is the next step. We see no cause for further delay."