11111111.1 MPs call for safety
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MEM I ,:CojEr changes to RO-ROs u/t 11 • RO-R0 ferries are unsafe and owners should be forced to make major design changes, says the parliamentary Transport Select Committee.
The MP's report on ferry safety, widely leaked in the press last week, slams the open vehicle decks of these ships because if water gets inside the ferries can quickly become unstable and prone to capsizing.
The all-party committee calls for all ferries to be fitted with transverse bulkheads on vehicle decks with secondary, water tight bulkhead doors. Other recommendations include external buoyancy tanks attached to the hull, The changes could cost around Lim per ferry, but it is estimated that ticket prices would only have to rise by £1 per vehicle to pay for the work.
The Freight Transport Association says: "We've seen the figure of £1 per vehicle. With the Channel Tunnel the market is now so competitive, but this increase wouldn't be large at all."