The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has decided to issue a suspension order for some of Tokai Kisen's vessels under the Maritime Transportation Act. Tokai Kisen operates passenger ships serving the Izu Islands. This would be the first application of such an order. The order covers one large passenger ship and two jet boats, with the suspension set to run for 20 days starting on the 9th. In temporary inspections conducted around the period from January to June this year, the ministry found 13 instances of violations of the Maritime Transportation Act, and in August it had already issued administrative penalties including ordering the dismissal of the safety supervisor and the operations manager. According to the ministry, on New Year's Day this year, crew members including the captain of two large passenger ships drank alcohol on board and took up watch duties without undergoing alcohol tests, and New Year's Day drinking appears to have become customary for at least 30 years. In April this year, crew members of a jet boat also had someone else take their alcohol test in their place and made false entries in records, showing that the testing system had become a mere formality.
Tokai Kisen Co., Ltd.Transport ministry issues first-ever 20-day vessel suspension order over Maritime Transportation Act violations including crew drinking and falsified alcohol tests.
