§ Sir Michael NeubertTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is part of his transport strategy for London that commuters on the River Thames should have access to Westminster pier; and how many people he estimates would benefit from this.
§ Mr. NorrisI understand from the Port of London Authority, which owns Westminster pier, that the pier is used to capacity in the summer months by existing contractual licence holders, who are primarily geared to meeting the needs of tourists, and that in its present form the pier could not safely accommodate extra commuter services of the type, for instance, operated by Riverbus.
The River Thames working group, which I established recently, will be studying the general issue of commuter access to the river, including the potential benefits which improved access could bring.