Following the serious incident on Wightlink’s St Helen ferry in July 2014, in which a number of vehicles were damaged and 3 people injured, the Island’s MP Andrew Turner has followed up an apparent lack of enforcement action.
The Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are responsible for enforcement action after serious safety incidents on ships. In this case the Marine Accident Investigation Bureau (MAIB) reported on the incident and highlighted serious safety concerns that went unaddressed over a number of years. The direct cause of the collapse of the mezzanine deck was found to be the failure of a steel rope, the poor condition of which had been highlighted in an independent report no fewer than 6 times in the 2 years prior to the incident.
Mr Turner, who has previously said that Wightlink were ‘reckless with people’s lives’ has today (Tuesday) said:
“I recently met Admiral Massey, Chief Executive of the MCA to discuss the MAIB’s report into the collapse of St Helen’s mezzanine deck. I was concerned by an apparent lack of enforcement action, to hold the owners of the vessel to account for repeated safety failings. Safety of passengers, staff and the public should be a key priority for any public transport system.
“We had an extensive discussion about the way in which these matters are handled and I am satisfied that within existing regulations, the MCA have done what is possible to ensure that this level of poor attention to safety requirements will not happen again.
“However it is not clear that the existing regulations are robust enough in some areas. These are complex issues but in my view a ferry service transporting hundreds of members of the public needs higher safety thresholds than vessels manned by a professional crew. I am therefore considering whether changes might be needed to enable punitive action to be taken against any ferry owner who knowingly breaches safety rules. I would welcome views from Islanders on this.”
