'Make it a shining jewel': Leeds skipper speaks out after failed water taxi bid
A Leeds skipper who tried to buy the city’s much-loved water taxi service and turn it into a community-run co-operative says he still hopes the new owners will “make it a shining jewel” again.
Colin Longden, 72, has worked on the water taxis for the last five years, usually one shift a week.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, he said he decided to step in after the company running the service, Leaseco 23 Ltd, went into administration last year, which brought the operations to a halt.
Longden, who had recently sold an investment property, put together a bid using his retirement savings. His plan was to turn the water taxis into a co-operative owned and managed by the skippers, with support on the business side.
He claims the skippers had raised concerns about pay, maintenance and fares, and that families and low-income passengers struggled with the current flat fare of £3 per person, per journey.
Under his proposal, the co-op would have explored a more flexible fare structure and a fund where better-off passengers could contribute towards free or cheaper trips for those who could not afford to travel.
“A service that’s owned and operated by a group of highly skilled, invested people would provide a much better service to the community,” he said. “We see a lot of quite disadvantaged families coming on board…it is a lot of money to some people.”
A rival bid backed by Leeds Dock developer Allied London, which founded the water taxis in 2014, was also submitted. Longden’s bid was ultimately unsuccessful, and a new company will now be created to take over the service, with plans to introduce electric boats in the future.
Longden says his priority now is that the service is run well and fairly.
“I’d like to see them give the skippers much better conditions, and actually invest in the boats, and make them a shining jewel in Leeds rather than a tarnished jewel,” he said.
He added that the taxis remain, in his view, “a jewel in the Leeds crown”, particularly for children and families experiencing the city from the water for the first time.
Allied London told the YEP that a new employment structure and “full and proper employment conditions” will be introduced.
There are plans to develop and enhance the service, including continued maintenance, and plans to introduce electric boats in the future - but no fare changes have been considered as part of the purchase of the business.
A spokesperson for Allied London said: “We founded this service, it was completely our idea, and have funded it since inception, often at significant loss.
“Certainly, we had made significant investment over the many years, and it’s a great community asset for Leeds Dock and Department which we own and operate. It’s a key attraction at Leeds Dock and a key service for people that work at Leeds Dock.”