Children's life vests still out of reach on ferries
Inspections find one ferry even keeps youngsters' life jackets locked up, six months after Lamma tragedy left eight children dead
Six months after the fatal ferry crash off Lamma Island, more than half the passenger vessels inspected by the South China Morning Post last week still kept children's life vests only on the main deck, and one even had them locked up.
Marine Department regulations require ferries to have all life-saving equipment located in easily accessible places and ready for immediate use.
But in a Post inspection of six ferries - running from Central to Cheung Chau, Peng Chau, Mui Wo, Yung Shue Wan, Sok Kwu Wan and Discovery Bay - four did not have life jackets for children on their upper decks. They were First Ferry VII, First Ferry XI, Sea Strike and Sea Supreme.
The children's life vests compartment on the Sea Supreme - which runs between Central and Peng Chau - was locked last Tuesday. The ferry, along with Sea Strike and Sea Spring, did not display their certificates of survey during the Post's inspection.
All three ships are operated by Hong Kong & Kowloon Ferry (HKKF), which also owned Sea Smooth, the ferry that collided with the Hongkong Electric-operated Lamma IV on October 1. Eight children were among the 39 dead, all of whom had been on board the Lamma IV, which carried no life jackets for children.
Lawmaker Gary Fan Kwok-wai, vice-chairman of the Legislative Council transport panel, said he was angry about the situation. "The government is neglecting its duty. The ferry operators are not fulfilling their responsibilities. It's really bad," he said.
Fan said children's life jackets should be on both decks for easy retrieval in an emergency.