London River Services
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| Locale | London, UK |
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| Waterway | River Thames |
| Transit type | Commuter boats, ferries and tourist/leisure services |
| Owner | Transport for London |
| Operator | Various boat companies |
| Began operation | 1999 |
| No. of terminals | 25 (8 managed by TfL) |
| Website | http://www.tfl.gov.uk/river |
London River Services Limited is a division of Transport for London (TfL), which manages passenger transport—leisure-oriented tourist services and commuter services—on the River Thames in London, UK. They do not own or operate any boats but license the services of operators.
The River Thames is generally no more than 300m wide as it runs through central London, and is crossed by many bridges and tunnels. River boat services in London therefore mostly travel east or west along the Thames rather than across it; the only major cross-river ferry services are to be found outside London further downstream where the river is wider.
London's river service network is not as extensive as those of Hong Kong or Sydney, but with recent investment in river public transport and the creation of London River Services, water transport in the British capital is experiencing a revival. More than 2,000 commuters a day travelled by river in 2007, a figure that increased by tourist traffic during the 2012 Olympics games.
Before the construction of London's bridges and the Underground, the River Thames had served as a major thoroughfare for centuries. Attempts to regulate the transport of passengers and goods began in 1197, when King Richard I sold the Crown's rights over the Thames to the City of London Corporation, which then attempted to license boats on the river. In 1510 Henry VIII granted a licence to watermen that gave exclusive rights to carry passengers on the river, and in 1555 an Act of Parliament set up the Company of Watermen and Lightermen to control traffic on the Thames.
For centuries the only bridge across the Thames was London Bridge. Crossing the river by wherry (small wooden rowing boat) was a common mode of transport.
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