St Katharine Dock, the popular yacht haven hard beside Tower Bridge in the centre of London, will be the centre ‘bus stop’ of a £7 million commuter boat plan from Westminster to Woolwich.

The Thames Clippers high speed catamaran fleet of fast-moving ferries are to receive £15 million of funding to make the ancient waterway a serious alternative to forms of public transport for London.

By 2007 the Thames ‘bus’ service will be increased in frequency from every 40 minutes to every 15 minutes making the river an attractive alternative to the tube and the bus.