Row brews over punting on Stour
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by
Alex Claridge
It's oars at dawn as rival punt operators clash over rights to
the River Stour.
A new firm from Cambridge has set up on steps at Stour Street,
which lead to the river close to the Greyfriars’ Garden and are
touting for business in the High Street.
They are competing for punters against Canterbury Historic River
Tours, which has been in the city for 76 years.
Police were called to an incident last week when a boat
belonging to the operators from Cambridge collided with a boat from
the Canterbury Historic River Tours.
Boss, Carey Miles, fears a host of problems will be caused by
the arrival of the operators from Cambridge.
“Obviously, we’ve already had a couple of run-ins with them,” Mr
Miles said. “This part of the river simply isn’t big enough for two
operators and I am most concerned about the safety of my
customers.
“Cambridge has seen a lot of trouble between rival boat
operators and I don’t want that to happen here, but the river Cam
is much wider than the Stour.”
Rod Macleod, who runs the punts along the Stour in the Westgate
Gardens, said: “My relationship with the Canterbury Historic River
Tours is fine, but I fear what kind of trouble these new operators
might bring.”
Last month the Daily Telegraph reported that police had been
called 31 times between July 2007 and April of this year to deal
with squabbles between rival operators in Cambridge.
Trouble flared in Canterbury on Tuesday when the Cambridge
operators stood by the Historic River Tours on the Weavers Bridge
and touted for the same customers.
Canterbury police confirmed they had already been called to an
incident involving boats from rival operators on the Stour.
Ashley Dalton is the director of Water Lane Punts, the firm
which has moved on to the Stour this summer.
He said he had tried to avoid the problems in Cambridge and had
come to Canterbury “partly to escape them”.
“I tried to steer clear of that, I have been a victim myself
of the more unscrupulous operators up there,” he said.
“But it’s not just about making money and I haven’t come down
here for any other reason other than I want to give people river
tours through an absolutely beautiful city.
“We only have one boat and I don’t think we are going to be
affecting Canterbury Historic River Tours, but I’ll admit that
since we got here it’s not been easy, in fact it’s been
unpleasant.”
Thursday, July 30 2009
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