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CONFIDENTIAL has been excited by the idea of a water taxi service in Manchester and Salford since the idea was mooted several years back. Late last year we broke the news that a service should be up and running by summer 2013 - click here.
Confidential understands there is now a shortlist of operators, and that they are obliged to bid for a service that will be 'commuter' not just 'leisure'.
Here are some 'work in progress' mock-ups of the five pontoon landing stages being proposed. The final layouts may be different and the boat pictured here almost certainly will. But the images help to make the idea real.
The breakdown of the landing stages seems sensible, although there is a big gap between pontoons from The Lowry Hotel to Ordsall. Of course others can be added should the service be successful.
Confidential understands there is now a shortlist of operators, and that they are obliged to bid for a service that will be 'commuter' not just 'leisure' - allthough the service will no doubt prove popular for United fans.
If infrastructure's your thing, it's all tremendously exciting.
Landing stage one - Lowry Hotel
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http://www.taxi-arnhem-bluecabs.nl
taxi Arnhem is the best review for this great visualwork! Thanks
Bit of a 'dicey' route that. Will the boats have brick proof windows?
Haha..NOTHING like promoting OLD stereotyes hey.....
You should try the boats that go from Dukes 92 on match days, no need for guards or armoured glass on those days.
However, I cannot see it paying.
Anon, this is a lovely idea and a masterstroke in terms of making the amenity of the city better
not exactly Paris metro sytle design quality is it!? Cant even see them clearly. Make an effort. Make a statement. Make more shelter. Poor effort.
Paris metro a bit of a dump actually.Extremely antiquated stations and ticketing machines.No thanks.
Cannot wait to see this up and running.
One thing I can guarantee.
It won't be profitable.
Chris Taylor you absolute misery. Who the hell are you to guarantee that? Would you rather not make the attempt, would you rather the region lacks imagination and ambition? I'm fairly sure somebody must have done some sums. Why not wish the project well rather than damning it?
He is entitled to his rant.
It's an idea, but you should not rely on an assumption of sums adding up. We have yet to see a business case...
As a former resident of Bristol that already has this service I'm looking forward to it and wish it every success.
Admirable idea, but ultimately doomed in my opinion. Not the most appealing of routes/locations, is it?
http://www.granvilleislandferries.bc.ca/
http://theaquabus.com/
It's a massively appealing route and will get better as time moves. I think locals often look at things with tired eyes because as the cliche says 'familiarity breeds contempt'. I take guests and tourists round and they see things differently.
It might a bit appealing for those wanting to go to Utd, admittedly, and possibly for some commuters, but "massively", I have to disagree. I don't find the route appealing at all. Obviously, your interaction with guests and tourists is greater than mine, but I don't think many tourists would use the service and then tell their friends at home "Oooh, you MUST use the water taxis in Manchester - you get to see wasteland, empty apartment blocks, graffiti'd walls (and not 'good' graffiti, either) and waterside areas which have mainly been left to rot."
Also, familiarity does breed contempt, but conversely, 'a little knowledge goes a long way' - The route will take passengers through some right holes. Tourists may not know this, but I do.
Sorry, this was supposed to be a response to Jonathan's comment.
Why not have boats with lights.They would be a real draw in the evening.I think they would be a affordable family treat as a excursion.Especially if you could hop on and off at nearby restaurants near stops on the route.
Hope all you doom and gloom merchants are proved wrong and that people with vision are successful!!! Good
luck with the venture!!!!
Checkout http://www.irwellriverpark.com if you haven't already the water taxis are very much part of a long term strategy that in time will breathe life back into the river and change our attitudes towards it. A waterway to be proud of and not turn our back on
I can only applaud your optimism. London is (I visit weekly-not by choice! is growing on its river developments only! witness the sad helicopter accident, "loads of trillion pound 'stuff' happening on the banks of the river".....P.S. Since the unsuccesful Gunpowder plot to remove the houses of Parliment and rotting corpses that reside within, can someone check if old or unrepealed law will allow us to 'dunk' our current leader in the Thames river and if he sinks he will not then be regarded as the 'Witch' hell bent on closing the country down?...You may dislike the French BUT at least they were AS one! and cut off the heads of those who caused poverty(and probably releast gas today to send a message to our puppet government)....never mind we have some wind farms owned by the inlaws of our leader and and this will remove the 'stink' by switching to FAN MODE. Sorry 'toys out of cot!...but we can grow as a city' inspite' of london........
JAWS- "were gonna need a bigger boat(s)!" ....and turnstyle entry & 'proper' shelters. Will need to run to the Trafford centre.
Just like to add That when I lived in Sud Afrika-people went on tours of Soweto and Pola park (don't believe everything you read in the press!)....doubting thomas's should stay in bed and wear your tin hats!..and stop mongering your 'doom and gloom' yes their are real economics to be faced upto but if we ignore the re-birth of our waterways we (Manchester residents and the investors) will be noted in history as the 'ones who thwarted the growth of this once powerhouse of Britian! Manchester.
Does anybody know what happened with the idea of a water taxi please? Don't know if I missed it but can't recall every reading anything further and the web site for it still seems to be under construction. Many thanks