British Waterways is currently seeking a commercial operator to run a boat service from a new moorings at Limehouse Basin, along the Limehouse Cut and up the River Lea to a floating pontoon at Three Mills and on to a terminus below Old Ford Locks for the Olympic Park. BW and its partners London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and the Olympic Delivery Authority would like the service to start before the 2012 Olympics. The route may be seen below and a large version here. The LTGDC-funded pontoon at Three Mills is at our proposed waterbus stop no. 11 and the BW-funded terminus is at our proposed waterbus stop no. 9.
This is very good news as it could be the start of EAST END WATERWAYS. However, we hope that the operator’s boats will have hybrid engines (diesel and electric) to minimise pollution of the Borough’s ‘green’ waterways; and that their boats will stop at our intermediate waterbus stops on the Limehouse Cut and River Lea (nos. 15, 14, 13, 12 and 10) for the benefit of local residents and others. If not during the Olympics, then before and after. We also hope that the commercial operator will employ local residents, especially as the service develops into our proposed two-way waterbus service and there is a need for more waterbus staff, lock keepers and maintenance staff. In particular, for the overnight recharging of batteries.
Obviously, a large overnight mooring basin will be needed for the waterbus fleet and the good news is that such a facility could be incorporated at the ODA’s proposed marina on the Hackney Cut in Fish Island East (in LBTH between waterbus stops nos. 8 and 9) and/or at the proposed basin on the Limehouse Cut in Cotall Street / Bartlett Park (just east of waterbus stop no. 14). Also staff training facilities at the overnight mooring basin and at the proposed Lansbury Centre 307 Burdett Road (other side of A1205 from waterbus stop no. 15).