DEAR EDITOR – I would not term the recent tragic incident with the Taimareho shipping as an accident or just a disaster. It should be properly designated as a direct result of blatant ignorance and carelessness in the strictest terms.
It is quite surprising and questionable to see the popular slogan “Safety First” painted on ships (I don’t know with Taimareho), but when it comes to actual compliance with it is quite another story.
As it appears, ship operators including captains and crews do not really worry about passengers and travelling public than money.
Should shipping companies and those who operate sea travelling such as characters, care about or prioritise the safety of passengers, perhaps the first and foremost safety-first measure is to heed warnings given by authorities like the Marines, as well as just commonsense, looking at weather and natural situations.
In that welfare of passengers should not be compromised with shipping schedules and the thought of money.
Simply put, when the weather is bad, postpone the trip for a favorable time.
Apart from that before travelling ships leave, authorities should always give strong warnings before departure if and when safe travelling is not guaranteed so that any passenger who might question going, do the right thing by abandoning ship before departure.
As well as that shipping authorities should always ensure not over-booking. Ships should allow only maximum booking and issue boarding passes at the wharf in order to ensure safety.
In the same way, responsible authorities such as Government when giving directives and orders for public even emergencies should ensure the safety of the public.
Acting out of panic and/or instinct, in times of disasters and scary situations often cause the problem to people.
Affordable and safe manners of action should be provided and not just rouse people as though just getting rid of them.
It would not be very good if we send people out of one danger zone just to place them into another disaster, just because we wanted to satisfy our political agendas or whatever.
On the part of travelling public, people should take careful note of such incidences.
Every individual should take responsibility for themselves, as the first way of “safety first” precaution.
People should not take life for granted.
Safety should be ensured before travels. Simply, if the ship is full or if the weather is not guaranteed, then it should be safer to go next time than get into trouble today.
Finally, wisdom and simple understanding including obedience would be the first step in safety precaution.
“Safety First” needs to be applied in appropriate and reasonable manners and orders.
K. R Waki
Auki
