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  Straits Times Forum 28 Apr 07
Life jackets placed back under passenger seats after inspection
Letter from Joyce Teng (Ms) Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

Straits Times Forum 25 Apr 07
Risky that life vests are stored in lower deck of private hire boat
Letter from Chua Yin Yin (Ms)

MY FAMILY visited St John's Island recently and we decided to charter a private boat from the Marina South Pier (MSP) to pick us up from the island as there were about 11 of us. We contacted one of the operators whose contact we had obtained from the pier prior to our trip.

The boat (SC 3935J) arrived and we were appalled at its run-down condition. Nevertheless, our family of five adults and six children boarded the boat and proceeded to head for MSP.

The sea was choppy when we left the island at about 4.30pm. As the boat headed towards the open sea, it had to weave between the big ships. The waves from these big vessels caused our boat to rock perilously from side to side. Only one of the doors on the boat was shut to keep the water from splashing in.

The ride was very rough and there was a danger of the children falling out of the other open door as well as the back exit that leads to another seating area. We were shocked when my husband who was holding onto my daughter almost fell off the chair when the boat listed dangerously to one side after being hit by the big waves from the ships.

I scanned the boat quickly, trying to locate the safety vests. Usually these vests are tucked under the seats for easy retrieval. We were sitting on two wooden benches and there was a compartment beneath each bench. I slid the door of the compartment open and, to my horror, there were no safety vests under the seats. Instead, the space was used to store all sorts of spare engine parts, rags and tins.

When we asked the boatman if there were safety vests onboard, he laughed and told us not to worry as nothing would happen. When pressed further, he just shrugged off the question and said the vests were stored in the lower deck.

My questions are:

>>Shouldn't the safety vests be stored in a visible place (usually beneath the seat) for easy retrieval?

>>If there really were safety vests on board, why keep them in the lower deck where the passengers do not know the exact location? I shudder to think what would happen in case of an emergency when people panicked.

>>I believe there must be regular checks conducted on these private hire vessels to ensure that they meet basic safety guidelines. How did this boat pass the check?

With the recent spate of drowning cases and the tragedy involving the coastal police, this is a timely reminder that we should never take water safety for granted.

Do we react and review current practices only when tragedy strikes?

I hope the authorities can comment on the above.

Straits Times Forum 28 Apr 07
Life jackets placed back under passenger seats after inspection
Letter from Joyce Teng (Ms) Senior Manager, Corporate Communications
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

WE REFER to Ms Chua Yin Yin's feedback, 'Risky that life vests are stored in lower deck of private hire boat' (Online forum, April 25), regarding the location of lifejackets on board a private hire boat.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has inspected the craft and the lifejackets were found stored in a locker located in the lower deck. We have informed the boat driver on the importance of placing the lifejackets under the passenger seats or in a conspicuous place which could be easily accessible to passengers. The boat driver has since placed the lifejackets under the passenger seats.

Further inspection of the craft was carried out and there were no safety deficiencies. The craft complied with MPA's licensing requirements and the integrity of the hull was not affected.

All harbour craft are inspected annually before a craft licence is issued or renewed. Additionally, MPA's port inspectors conduct random checks to ensure that harbour craft comply with our safety requirements.

MPA has also started a safety campaign. We have been informing all boat operators and drivers to check the life saving appliances regularly to ensure they are in good working condition. These include placing lifejackets under passenger seats, signages to indicate the location of lifejackets and posters to show how lifejackets should be worn.

MPA would like to thank Ms Chua for her feedback. We will continue to work with the craft operators and drivers to enhance the safety of passengers with sound regulatory framework and international best practices.
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