River Licence

daf4trucks · February 17, 2016

Why is it in this age of extremely low inflation, and RPI containment are we seeing a 6% increase year on year for our River Licence?

Council Tax, Gas , Electric, Water, home insurance, boat insurance, RFL, mooring fees, TV Licence, petrol, diesel, food, beer, wine, spirits etc., etc., all contained or subject to

small percentage increases, but not the dear old BA Licence.

Is it due to lack of regulation, competition, or are the leisure boating fraternity seen as an easy touch?

senator · February 17, 2016

daf4trucks, you are unfortunately misguided, please see my post in the Broads tolls section explaining why 6% reflects a below inflation rise.

senator · February 17, 2016

It's here in-case you couldn't find it

Personally I see all tolls as fantastic value.

The engine on the outboard does move it into another class, it enables its use to be a main boat rather than a tender, How many times have you seen family's out for the week with suitcases aboard, must happen all the time in a 2.5-3m dinghy.

They are not really above inflation rises, what everyone is forgetting is that every part of the Broads Authority suffers from inflation. Boats now contribute a far higher percentage of the overall budget than ever before, due to reduced grants for other unrelated projects that still need to be forced through, and as such must pick up their fair share of all the inflation, there is the 2% on admin costs, 2% of broads rangers costs, 2% of dredging non navigable private broads cost etc. Overall if you add all the 2%'s up it could be as much as 18% of which Boats must pay their fair share. 6% is actually a real bargain.

Can we also not forget that we still issue the ever popular non refundable tolls in order to capitalise on anyone who has the audacity to change there boat mid season. Even if the boat they are selling is leaving the Broads and the Boat they are buying is coming from elsewhere the BA will look after the Toll interest by charging the same person 24 months of Tolls for the same year. now that is a 100% increase that will also have 2% inflation and that has not even been added to the inflation rate for the tolls.

I trust everyone now understands why Broads users are getting below inflation rises at 6%

TheQ · February 18, 2016

That may be the BAs explanation but the arithmetic is totally wrong.

if you add 2% of one Item to 2% of another Item, you only have 2% increase of both Items not 4%

So 6% is a rip off and NOT a bargain, 6% increase out of my pocket is a huge amount when you only get a less than 2% pay rise.

MauriceMynah · February 18, 2016

Perhaps it's forward planning on BA's part, after all, they're soon going to have to clear up an awfull lot of black plastic bags full of refuse . :hardhat: