CO129-626-2 Movement of dangerous goods around Hong Kong 1-1-1951 - 30-4-1951 — Page 19

The procedure for Dangerous Goods lighters to be surveyed, approved and issued with an endorsement to their plying licence or permit is fully detailed.

14.

Dangerous Goods on Passenger Vessels

Under Term of Reference (1) we recommend that certain Dangerous Goods permitted by the Ministry of Transport on passenger vessels should be restricted on vessels engaged in the Eastern Trades in the carriage of unberthed passengers.

The Ministry of Transport lists of each classification of Dangerous Goods have been considered and in similar lists, under the various Categories, a column has been included, healed "Whether allowed in unberthed Fassenger Vessols". This involves the alternatives "Not allowed" and "Separate", the definition of the latter being "Allowed only in unberthed passenger vessels requiring clearance if separated by the machinery spaces from compartments occupied by such passengers, and so stowed as to be inaccessible to deck passengers in addition to the usual precautions in stowage required of all vessels".

For River Trade vessels, wherein the greatest danger may be considered to lie and where the greatest loss of life in disasters in the past has occurred, the Committee recommends specifically that fire-crackers and non-approved matches shall not be carried at the same time as passengers.

15.

The Vehicular Ferry

We have

The Vehicular Ferry has given us much concern. received statements of what is allowed on ferry-boats on the Mersey and on the Clyde, and also in New York Harbour, and find general agreement that highly dangerous cargo cannot be permitted on such boats at the same time as passengers. When we consider somewhat less hazardous goods, there is less general agreement and our object has been to find some compromise which will ensure the safety of boat and passengers and yet not unduly restrict the passage of commodities, many in everyday use,

across the Harbour by vehicular ferry.

we

Section 17 of Ordinance No. 1 of 1873 reads as follows: "No warehouse owner or carrier shall be bound to receive or carry any dangerous goods". The attitude of the Ferry Company would then appear to be: "We do not want to carry any dangerous goods; we do not knowingly carry any dangerous roods, but you cannot expect us to search every lorry that comes for transportation across the Harbour; haven't time to do so and we should require a considerable staff to do it properly". It is, however, a well-known fact that Dangerous Goods of all kinds are regularly transported across the Harbour by the Vehicular Ferry and this is a hazard that should not be allowed to continue.

While in general we agree that no common carrier should be bound to accept Dangerous Goods, the Vehicular Ferry is a large public utility, holding a complete monopoly of the conveyance of vehicles across the Harbour. It seems desirable, therefore, that they should be required to accept some Dangerous Goods where the hazard is not great.

On the other hand, the number of passengers who may be carried on a vehicular ferry vessel may amount to as many as 500 and any accident that might occur on such a crowded boat would undoubtedly

There is also a risk of lead to a catastrophe of unusual magnitude. panic from some comparatively minor occurrence. Many of us personally have experienced a feeling of claustrophobia on a crowded ferry, where cars were packed so closely to each other that the occupants of the cars could not have got out of them in an emergency.

We have

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