About us
The Commercial Boat Operators Association is a trade association which furthers its members’, interests by publicising and promoting the development of freight traffic on the inland and esturial waters of this country. It is open to membership from:
Companies
Operating freight boats and/or facilities or advising/consulting on water freight, workboat and waterway contractors, and those who offer goods and services from boats.
Associates
Persons who agree with our objectives.
Today our inland waterway system is seeing a renaissance.
WHY THE INLAND WATERWAY SYSTEM?
Canals pass through the centre of towns and cities, many of which are actively promoting their waterways, such as London, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Nottingham and Manchester.
The Canal & River Trust, which at present controls, over 2000 miles of inland waterways, is actively promoting the public awareness of this system.
The CBOA actively promotes the commercial use of this National Asset, its membership already includes many nontrade associates.
IF YOU WANT AN ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT MODE THAT WILL...
Improve your green image
Put your brand or company name before the public in a new way
Be seen as conserving Britain’s heritage
Transport by water
IS ENVIRONMENTALLY GOOD
It keeps heavy goods vehicles off already congested urban and rural roads.
IS LOW ON POLLUTION
Fuel consumption is small because water transport offers a ‘frictionless’ form of transport. Noise pollution, too, is much reduced.
IS FASTER THAN YOU THINK
Remember the Hare and the Tortoise. Provided goods arrive when they are wanted it is not important how long they take to arrive, especially when vessels are providing a valuable advertising service.
IS A GOOD THING TO GET YOUR NAME ON
Be seen by the public. It provides a unique opportunity to float your advertising slogan past thousands of people in a most memorable way whilst they are relaxing.
IS SENSIBLE DISTRIBUTION
Waterways offer a reliable and smooth service for delivery and act as floating warehouses in the supply chain.
IS SAFER
Reducing lorry miles reduces accidents on our crowded road system.
Some of the authorities we work with
CBOA also has links to Freight by Water (part of the Freight Transport Association), the Parliamentary Waterways Group, the CRT National Users Forum and its Navigation Advisory Group, Yorkshire and North East Regional Advisory Board, and the Freight Steering Group.
The CBOA makes representations to Parliamentary Select Committees relating to transport and also the environment. It holds meetings with shadow ministers of political parties.
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