The Cochin Port Trust (CPT) suggested the port department of Kerala government to introduce a system of issuing the certificate of registry to boats on an annual basis.
The port said this in a statement filed in the Kerala High Court in response to a writ petition seeking a directive to ensure that boats plying in the backwaters had valid licence and safety equipment to ensure passenger safety.
Further, the port listed the measures that must be taken to ensure safe plying of boats. It said that certificate holders of the Mercantile Marine Department with a minimum of five yearsÂ’ experience in the port waters would be allowed to ply boats in the Kochi waters.
The CPT said it had been ensured that experienced supervisors and drivers would man the boats plying in the port waters as the channels were regularly used by large cargo vessels, tankers and dredgers. Life-saving devices and fire-fighting equipment would have to be updated annually, the port said.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.