Annual Report 1997

5. Report of the Ferries Working Group

Bill Lee

Members
Peter Barker - DPTAC
Valerie Lang - DPTAC
Captain Garth Halanen - Chamber of British Shipping
Dorothy Rhodes - DPTAC
Brian Seaman - Holiday Care Service
Peter Rose - Marine Safety Agency
John Robin - Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers
Jane Wilmot - DPTAC

Observers
Sue Sharp - DETR

Secretariat
John Cousley - DETR

As reported last year the Group contributed to the UK's input to the guidelines on access to passenger ferries which were drawn up by the IMO (International Maritime Organisation). The IMO had set up a Correspondence Working Group to take that work forward as part of its consideration of Ship Design and Equipment.

In June 1996 the IMO issued the guidelines, "Recommendations on the Design and Operation of Passenger Ships to respond to Elderly and Disabled Person Needs", and referred them to Member States who were asked "to bring the approved recommendations to the attention of those concerned for action as appropriate". The Marine Safety Agency of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) actioned that request issuing a Marine Guidance Notice to Naval Architects, Ship Designers, Ship Owners, Ship Operators and Shipbuilders.

As only basic advice is provided in the IMO document, this Group is preparing supplementary detailed advice to assist all concerned in the interpretation and effective implementation of the recommendations. Substantial progress has been made during the latter part of 1997 and it is anticipated that the further advice will be available in the late Summer of 1998.

A questionnaire has been sent out to port and ferry operators seeking information on the provision of facilities and support services for disabled people. The responses, which were received by the end of December, will be invaluable in assisting the Group to establish what has been achieved throughout the industry; to identify where industry is falling short; to provide a basis for an audit of facilities and support services; and to establish the Group's future work programme and priorities.

The Group has decided that there should be wider representation from the industry in order to improve the experience available and to ensure that proposals made by the Group will have taken into consideration the complexities of the industry and will therefore be more likely to be adopted and implemented. This aspect is of great importance as the Disability Discrimination Act does not cover shipping.

In order to obtain information on progress overseas the Group has examined a report on the passenger ferry provisions of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). The report is an assessment of the feasibility of implementing that Act in the passenger vessel industry. Although the ADA was "signed into law in 1990" no regulations under the Act for vessel access have yet been issued. A Draft Code of Practice on "Ferry Accessibility for Persons with Disabilities" prepared by the National Transportation Agency of Canada has recently been received and will be discussed by the Group.

The potential problems for people with special needs of access to river boats in connection with the Greenwich Millennium Project have been raised within the Group and we will be looking at this issue in more detail during 1998.

Appledore Shipbuilders are building a new 600 passenger carrying ferry for Caledonian MacBrayne and the Group is giving advice on the facilities to be provided for disabled people.

The Group continues to provide advice to operators of both terminals and passenger vessels as requested also.

Bill Lee
Chairman

Ferries Working Group - Work Programme 1998

1. Finalise DPTAC's supplementary advice to the International Maritime Organisation's guidance on the design of passenger ferries.

2. Distribute and promote the supplementary advice to the UK industry.

3. Establish a database, drawn from industry's responses to a detailed access questionnaire, of the current state of play across ports and ferries in the UK.

4. Consider the accessibility of smaller passenger vessels, eg. riverboats, and determine what advice DPTAC might offer to manufacturers and operators of those vessels.

5. Continue to offer advice to port and ferry operators on access issues.

Terms of Reference for the Ferries Working Group

1. The membership of the Group will be agreed with the Chairman of the Group and the Chairman of the DPTAC. Membership will be limited to no more than ten members.

2. The membership of the Group will include representatives from disability interests, shipping industry and other appropriate interests.

3. The Group will normally meet at least four times a year.

4. The Chairman of the Group will generally be a full time member of the DPTAC and will make a report on the Group's work to each meeting of DPTAC.

5. The Group will:

   a) consider issues affecting elderly and disabled people travelling on passenger carrying vessels;

   b) consider requests from DETR and other Government Departments to DPTAC for guidance/advice on issues relating to passenger carrying vessels and make recommendations to DPTAC on those issues;

   c) undertake such work as they, in consultation with DPTAC, consider necessary to progress the interests of disabled people in relation to travel on passenger carrying vessels;

   d) raise issues, through DPTAC, for consideration by the DETR;

   e) draw up guidance and codes of practice, as necessary, for clearance by DPTAC for publication as formal DPTAC advice; and

   f) provide advice to DPTAC, on consultation papers from Government and other organisations.

6. All papers submitted to the Group will be confidential to its members and details discussed within the Group should not be discussed with third parties, without prior agreement of the Secretariat.

Published 3 June 1998

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