Bargee travellers protest ‘discriminatory’ surcharge – BBC News

Boaters from across the UK will gather in London later to protest against “discriminatory” price rises they say threaten their way of life.

The Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT) plans to raise costs associated with living on the water.

Boat licences are due to increase and a surcharge imposed on continuous cruisers.

Continuous cruisers are those who live on boats but do not have a home mooring where they stay for longer periods.

The new rule will come into force on 1 April.

Members of the National Bargee Travellers Association (NBTA) will congregate in Little Venice in west London to celebrate the community and stand against the CRT’s plans.

The trust said it needs funding to keep the waterways alive but the NBTA secretary Marcus Trower, a continuous cruiser, said: “An escalating surcharge will increase the cost of a licence by 25% over four years.

“My licence currently costs £1,200, but with these changes that will up by more than a third in the next four years. And the worry is that if they are allowed to implement these changes now, how much more will they start charging in the future?

“We believe it is the trust’s aim to reduce the number of boats without home moorings. We are being singled out and they don’t want us to exist.

“They genuinely seem to believe we are taking the mickey and think everyone should have one particular place to live. But the reality is we live a different way of life that suits us.”

The protest, described as an Easter regatta, will be held at the canal side exit of Paddington Station, near the bookable moorings.

Activists will stage a “unity march” to the nearby CRT offices while boaters deliver speeches, run craft stalls and provide live music.

The CRT has been contacted for comment.