Water Chariots greed backfiring ?

[keslake]

Wow, originally trying to charge £95 return journey from Limehouse.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-180504...




They have now dropped the price down to £20.


http://www.water-chariots.co.uk/


A bit too late in the day to turn it around i think.

Edited by keslake on Thursday 9th August 06:28

[Type R Tom]

Love this story, the greed some people showed in the build up to the games and love that it's come back to bite them on the ae

[keslake]

Apparently the cost for building the boats was £3million.

Someone is taking a big kick in the nuts with this.

[wormburner]

Didn't manage to get it sponsored in time either. Ouch.

[baldy1926]

They go striaght past my flat. For days i've seen these going up and down empty.
The last 2 or 3 days they have been full i wonder way that could be

[wormburner]

I've read they've had £300k of public money, but can't find a good source.

[keslake]

Update.

Looks like it went tits up.

http://www.water-chariots.co.uk/

[Laurel Green]

I was down Limehouse yesterday and watched as one of the boats set off with just two passengers.

[GWC]

I live in Limehouse and it's been interesting to watch this folly from the start. I am not surprised it has been a spectacular failure. Who was ever going to get off the DLR which goes to Stratford to pay £95 to sit on a boat that goes up the Limehouse Cut? It is not exactly a picturesque waterway. To hire one of the small boats exclusively for 7 people was £7,500! Someone has invested a lot of money into this and had their pants pulled down, it will be interesting to see what comes out in the wash.

[GWC]

wormburner said:

I've read they've had £300k of public money, but can't find a good source.

I think that some of that money came from British Waterways to pay for the pontoons to be put into Limehouse Basin.

[Blib]

Well, I'm not surprised. It takes less than 15 minutes to get from Limehouse to the Olympic stadium on the DLR.

I travelled there using the DLR during the games and I found a seat with ease. Who in their right mind would pay such exorbitant charges?

[Laurel Green]

Blib said:

Well, I'm not surprised. It takes less than 15 minutes to get from Limehouse to the Olympic stadium on the DLR.

I travelled there using the DLR during the games and I found a seat with ease. Who in their right mind would pay such exorbitant charges?

Or one stop from Tottenham Hale on the overground in something like ten minutes.

[IroningMan]

District Line and a nice walk got us there.

[keslake]

GWC said:

wormburner said:

I've read they've had £300k of public money, but can't find a good source.

I think that some of that money came from British Waterways to pay for the pontoons to be put into Limehouse Basin.

As far as i know that info is correct.

What is disturbing is that £300k had been earmarked for a new Canoe and cafe centre at Stonehouse, Tottenham but was diverted to this failed venture.

[Blib]

keslake said:

GWC said:

wormburner said:

I've read they've had £300k of public money, but can't find a good source.

I think that some of that money came from British Waterways to pay for the pontoons to be put into Limehouse Basin.

As far as i know that info is correct.

What is disturbing is that £300k had been earmarked for a new Canoe and cafe centre at Stonehouse, Tottenham but was diverted to this failed venture.

"Sustainability" ?

[GWC]

I think I'll take a wander up to the Basin and see what notifications are up.

[Blib]

GWC said:

I think I'll take a wander up to the Basin and see what notifications are up.

See if they've got any boats they'd like to sell for cash?

[GWC]

Blib said:

GWC said:

I think I'll take a wander up to the Basin and see what notifications are up.

See if they've got any boats they'd like to sell for cash?

I suspect they may have a few

[Eric Mc]

That must be the shortest lived "legacy project" of the games . It didn't even make it to the end of the Paralympics.

[Laurel Green]

GWC said:

I suspect they may have a few

I think they have thirteen of the big boats - unlucky for some but, much to be bartered for.