Thames ferry service cut

Central London's Fast Ferry service linking Festival Pier and Canary Wharf via Bankside and London Bridge City, launched last spring by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, has been quietly cut back for the winter.

White Horse Fast Ferries Chief Executive Peter Lay told in SE1 that it had been "a difficult decision" but the service - which receives no subsidy - has to be self-sufficient and the service reduction "reflects customer demand". Mr Lay said that White Horse were committed to "preserving the key commuter traffic" with the current peak hours service between Blackfriars Pier on the north bank and Canary Wharf.

The service reduction, which leaves Bankside Pier without a scheduled river service, comes as the String of Pearls Millennium Festival brochure promotes the White Horse ferry as one of the main ways of travelling between the featured attractions.

Speaking at the launch in May 1999 John Prescott said that "upstream, downstream, north bank to south bank, people will be able to use the the Thames as a practical way of getting about London".

Mr Lay conceded that "we probably launched prematurely because not all of the infrastructure was in place." He plans to reintroduce the full service at Easter once a "credible presence" with ticket machines and signing has been established at all the piers.

See how we reported the launch last year

White Horse Fast Ferries website - www.whitehorse.co.uk/fastferries

London River Services - www.londontransport.co.uk/river