ship repair - thames closure
WORKERS, MAY 2005 ISSUE
One of the few remaining Thames repair yards faces closure due to lease expiry problems. The Thames Craft Dry Docking Company at Greenwich provides maintenance to the Thames tourist boats, the River Police fleet and innumerable smaller boating and shipping companies.
Over 10 million tonnes of freight use the Thames annually. There is not the capacity to move this to road or rail. Transport on London's streets is moving slower in 2005 than it did in 1905, but planners are not linking use of the Thames with the Thames Regeneration Project and the various cross-London rail plans. Efficient use of river transport requires maintenance and repair facilities to ensure safety standards are met.