THAMES EXPERIMENT.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18229, 13 November 1924, Page 13

THAMES EXPERIMENT.

RIVER PASSENGER SERVICE.

After a lapse, of nearly 100 years London is to see a revival of the'use of the Thames River as a town .highway. Within, the next six months fleets of motor-boats will be operating between Woolwich and Hammersmith. This is not the first time in the present century such a schemo has been thought of; in-fact, there have been four, previ-ous-efforts to place passenger' boats on the Thames, but, owing-to the'type of vessel used, the. absence of landing. places-, at convenient and' other causes, 1 they failed. , •It is espbeted, that this service will, be in operation by Easter, and the fare will be a penny a mile. There will 'bo twenty-five' boats of the 'latest type, each 100 feet long and capable of carrying about ; 300 * passongers. They will start every fifteen minutes from. Eastern Hammersmith in South-west London or Woolwich in South-east London, places which by tho winding river are seventeen miles or more, apart. . The craft will,be real luxury boats, as, they are being fatted with writing rooms, saloons, promenade decks, and lestaurants —fully licensed, _ meaning they will be • nearly as wet inside as thej' are out. It is estimated that they will be capable; of making nine miles an hour against tho tide. As the draft will be onlv_three feet nine inches,'they will be ablo to ply at any state of tide, the landing places being built out into the river far enough 'to give four feet and-allow for the tide. : Between Hammersmith and Woolwich there will be twenty-five stations, twelve of which are now ready _< for use." During certain times of-the day the water omnibuses - will make .nonstop runs. . • . i • It remains to. be seen whether this new highway will make any material difference in the congested state of the main roads hi London during business hours. Though going to and>from business bv water sounds attractive, the trip "being- especially pleasant in the soring and summer months, it is thought that, when it rains—and-, it usuallv is raining in London—the subways .and the buses ".will have it al their own way.