>Press Releases Home > Publications and press releases > Press Releases High Speed Craft Regulation amended The Merchant Shipping (Safety) (High Speed Craft) (Amendment) Regulation 1999, to be gazetted on Friday (July 9) will avoid confusing the travelling public that the existing and new high speed craft (HSC) have different safety standards. A Marine Department spokesman said today (Tuesday) that the amendment would apply the HSC Regulation to HSC constructed before the commencement of the HSC Regulation if the owner of the HSC so requested and if the Director of Marine so approved. The HSC Regulation that has come into operation on March 1 this year is very specific on its application with respect to the year in which the HSC is built. However, it does not provide for those HSC built before the commencement of the Regulation unless these crafts have undergone major repairs or modifications. "Due to the restriction of the HSC Regulation on its application, the two groups of HSC (the existing and new one) are regulated under two sets of regulations and are issued with certificates under two different certification systems," the spokesman said. "In view of this, the ship owners have raised concerns on the two regulating systems which may confuse the travelling public that different safety standards are applied to the existing and new HSC respectively." "The owners have further requested that the Director of Marine should conduct surveys and issue certificates to all Hong Kong HSC according to the new HSC Regulation irrespective of the year of their construction," he added. Having considered ship owners' suggestion and that the existing HSC can comply with the requirements of the new HSC Regulation without undergoing major modifications, the Director of Marine has proposed to amend the HSC Regulation so that subject to his approval, surveyors may conduct survey and issue certificates to the existing HSC under the HSC Regulation if the owners so request. Under the existing HSC Regulation, a HSC shall be issued with a High Speed Craft Safety Certificate and a Permit to Operate High Speed Craft. The existing Hong Kong registered HSC were built to the requirements of the Code of Safety for Dynamically Supported Craft which was implemented in Hong Kong by administrative measures. These existing HSC are issued with International Safety Certificates according to the various subsidiary legislation made under the Safety Ordinance with exemptions granted in respect of the requirements concerning the conventional deep sea ships. Tuesday, 6 July 1999
		2009 | Important notices | Privacy Policy Last revision date : 17 September 2008