The owner of Cardiff’s largest water bus firm has called for a single company to operate on the city’s waterways.
Steve Woodward, the director of Aquabus, says Cardiff Harbour Authority need to set up a franchise system to attract more investors.
An estimated two hundred thousand people have travelled on Cardiff’s waterways in the last year.
Mr Woodward believes water buses have the potential of becoming useful for commuters. He says, “It’s a completely underused waterway at the moment. Nearly all of our customers are tourists, or local visitors. There’s virtually no commuter traffic at all.”
He added: “I think because Cardiff is a capital city, it deserves a 21st century waterway system.
“But it’s unfair to ask the private sector to invest massive amounts of money unless there’s a new licencing or franchising type of arrangement – otherwise people just won’t invest.”
But Mr Woodward’s suggestions have been met with criticism from other water bus operators.
Steve Critchley started his business eighteen years ago with his boat Princess Royal.
He says having a larger franchise on Cardiff’s waterways would be dangerous for smaller businesses: “If one operator has the franchise, what happens to the others? Do we get put out of business?
“I just think that the free enterprise that we have now, works well for so many people.”
Cardiff Harbour Authority are responsible for deciding how much Cardiff’s waterways will be regulated. They were approached for comment.
