The Commercial Boat Operators Association, the Canal & River Trust, the Inland Waterways Association and the Port of London Authority will work together to transform the way goods are transferred around the country.

The aim is to get more freight off roads, where traffic pollution is known to cause severe health problems in built up areas, and onto freight carriers on the UK’s rivers and canals.

John Spencer, director of GPS Marine, said: “The problem is we’re using 19th century infrastructure to solve 21st century problems, but as an individual company we’ve been hitting our heads against a brick wall. We’re now working with major canal and river organisations to get this moving.”

The Port of London Authority has launched a new consultation and vision for the Thames. The river is already the UK’s busiest inland waterway. Thames Vision 2050 identifies the development of Trading Thames as a priority, with strong long-term potential for using the river to connect the deepsea port outside London with customers and consumers in London.

Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal & River Trust, said: “The transfer of traffic from trucks to barges can play a significant role in reducing carbon emissions, improving air quality, and supporting the broader Government objective to achieve net zero and mitigate climate change.”

These organisations are approaching the Department for Transport, Defra and relevant select committees and will aim to deepen understanding of the opportunity and what needs to be done to make the most of it.