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Chapter Law Content

Chapter 2 Inspection of Passenger Ships and Pre-sailing Inspections
Article 23
Passenger ships shall be inspected in accordance with the provisions prescribed herein, in addition to the regulations for inspection of ships, for ships load lines, for equipment of ships, and other relevant laws.
Passenger ships navigating in international waters shall also be inspected pursuant to the international provisions set forth in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
Passenger ships navigating on fixed routes, schedules, stations and rates shall set up accessible facilities and equipment according to Specifications for Accessible Facilities and Equipment of Passenger Ships as attached in Appendix 1.
Article 24
Application for the initial inspection of a passenger ships navigating on international routes shall be made to the shipping administration authority or ship register institute on the form, together with three copies of each of the following documents:
1. Principal specifications of the ship;
2. Business plan;
3. Main drawings and calculations; and
4. Other information and drawings the shipping administration authority or ship register institute deems necessary.
The initial inspection includes imported existing ships, ships under construction, and the intended use or type is changed.
Article 25
The principal specifications of ships shall enumerate:
1. General information:
(1) Principal dimensions;
(2) Speed of ships;
(3) Capacity and deadweight;
(4) Construction standards;
(5) Number of passengers of every class and the allotment thereof;
(6) Number of crew and the allotment thereof; and
(7) Stability.
2. Hull:
(1) Description of materials used,
(2) Description of subdivision,
(3) Description of fire zone and the constructions thereof,
(4) Description of side scuttles, watertight doors, fire doors, drain ports and all sewage and other discharge holes and mechanical gears and the remote control systems thereof on the shell plates below the boundary lines,
(5) Descriptions of passenger decks, and
(6) Passenger cabin and sanitary facilities.
3. Machinery:
(1) Outline of main engines,
(2) Outline of boilers and the pressure vessels thereof,
(3) Outline of generators, and
(4) Outline of water pumps.
4. Equipment:
(1) Category of equipment and accessories,
(2) Outline of fire prevention, detection, extinguishing and fire alarm device, and
(3) Outline of firefighting equipment.
Article 26
Except as otherwise specified in laws and regulations, the business plan shall enumerate:
1. Outline of planned routes,
2. Outline of planned passenger-carrying ports and calling ports,
3. Planned business periods and the number of passengers carried in each period, and
4. Cargo-carrying plan if cargoes are to be carried concurrently.
Article 27
Principal drawings and calculations shall be approved by qualified naval architects or ship register institute and shall include:
1. General information:
(1) General arrangement,
(2) Longitudinal sections of interior and exterior of the hull,
(3) Lines,
(4) Floodable length curve,
(5) Stability curve,
(6) Intact and damaged stability calculations,
(7) Volumes and horizontal/vertical centers of gravity of cargo holds, oil tanks and ballast tanks,
(8) Detailed layouts of gangways, ventilation, lighting, medical and sanitary facilities of passenger and crew cabins, and
(9) Capacity and layout of lifeboats, life rafts and davits.
2. Hull:
(1) Midship section,
(2) Longitudinal section,
(3) Shell expansion and framing plan,
(4) Construction of bow, stern and rudder,
(5) Construction of all decks,
(6) Drawings of pillars and longitudinal girders,
(7) Drawings of watertight and oil-tight bulkheads,
(8) Drawings of main engine and boiler seats,
(9) Drawings of doors, windows and side scuttles,
(10) Drawings of hatch covers and cover plates of watertight decks,
(11) Drawings of watertight doors and control gears, and
(12) Drawing of drain holes on shell plates.
3. Engines and machines:
(1) General arrangement of engine room,
(2) Layouts of main and auxiliary boilers and pressure vessels,
(3) Layout and capacity of bilge pumps,
(4) Layout of water feed piping,
(5) Layout of bilge piping,
(6) Layout of ballast water piping,
(7) Layout of drainage fittings below bulkhead decks,
(8) Layout of ventilation,
(9) Layout and capacity of main generators and emergency generators,
(10) Electric power switch circuits, and
(11) Drawings of lighting fixtures and other electrical systems of all decks.
4. Fire control:
(1) Fire zones and the construction thereof,
(2) List of fire control systems,
(3) List of fire alarm systems,
(4) List of fire detection systems, and
(5) List of fire extinguishing systems.
Article 28
In case of unavailability of all drawings and specifications specified in the three preceding articles, the shipowner may elaborate reasons in writing to apply for exemption from the submission of the drawings and specifications with the shipping administration authority or ship register institute.
If the shipowner has furnished the drawings and specifications mentioned above to the shipping administration authority or ship register institute pursuant to other relevant laws and regulations, such drawings and specifications may be exempted from submission or the number of copies may be reduced.
Article 29
In case an existing ship is converted to a passenger ship, or a passenger ship undergoes substantial modification, the drawings and specifications of modification thereof shall be furnished, together with other drawings and specifications that the shipping administration authority or ship register institute may deem necessary.
Article 30
Before the shipping administration authority approves the certified number of passengers, it shall inspect the passenger cabins, and exclude those that are not in compliance with the present Regulations from use as passenger cabins.
Article 31
Before the shipping administration authority or ship register institute issues passenger ship safety certificates, it shall inspect the lighting, ventilation, sanitary, escape and protection facilities before conducting the inspection according to the drawings and specifications as specified in Article 27 or 29 herein. If drinking water and meals are supplied, the facilities thereof shall also be inspected.
Article 32
In case of any alteration of the facilities mentioned in the preceding article, the shipowner shall report to the shipping administration authority or ship register institute for inspection. If the authority deems, after inspection, that it is necessary to change the certified number of passengers or some entries on the passenger ship safety certificate, it may so renew such certificate.
Article 33
An application for passenger ship inspection shall be made to the shipping administration authority or ship register institute before the valid period of the passenger ship safety certificate expires.
Article 34
Any passenger ship navigating abroad may only depart from the domestic port where she calls after she is inspected and verified by the inspector of the shipping administration authority or ship register institute for the following:
1. Various certificates are valid;
2. Lifesaving, fire extinguishing and rescue facilities are readily prepared;
3. Hull, and machinery are in normal state;
4. The facilities for lighting, ventilation, sanitation, drinking water, and food comply with requirements;
5. The passenger List is complete and shows an excessive number of passengers are not carried on board;
6. The category and quantity of cargoes carried concurrently comply with requirements and the cargoes are suitably stowed; and
7. The stowage and ballast provide proper stability at all times for the ship.
The shipping administration authority may only inspect Item 1, 5, 6 and 7 in the previous paragraph, while making a spot inspection on the remaining items before the departure of a passenger ship navigating shorter international routes.
Article 35
For a ship navigating the outer sea or coastal route up to 1,000 nautical miles or more than five days, the shipping administration authority at the port the route begins shall send the inspector to verify Items 1 through 7, the first paragraph of the preceding article. The ship may be allowed to depart only after being inspected and verified.
If the ship mentioned above carries or discharges passengers at some other port of call on its route, the shipping administration authority at such port shall inspect and verify Item 5, the first paragraph of the preceding article. While, if the ship loads or discharges cargoes, she shall be subject to inspection and verification of Items 6 and 7, the first paragraph of the preceding article.
Article 36
On the date of navigation, the master of a domestic passenger ship shall confirm preparations for navigation and sign the Passenger Ship Pre-Departure Checklist of (Attachment 1) before navigation.
For the safety of the public, the shipping administration authority may carry out spot inspections of seaworthiness from time to time according to the Passenger Ship Safety Inspection List of the R.O.C. (Attachment 2). For domestic passenger ships, the shipping administration authority shall send the inspector on board to make spot inspection on Items 1 through 7, the first paragraph, Article 34 herein, at least three times every year.Where passenger ships's hull materials are aluminum, the abovementioned spot inspection shall be carried out six times every year.
If if after inspection the shipping administration authority doubts the seaworthiness or finds that the certified number of passengers exceeds what is specified, it shall order them corrected and approved.
After the shipping administration authority approves the inspection, the responsible inspector and the master of the passenger ship shall execute the report in two counterparts and retain one as a record.
Article 37
The master of a passenger ship that is exempted from providing a passenger list in accordance with Subparagraph 7, Paragraph 2, Article 11 of the Law of Ships shall report the number of passengers when the shipping administration authority checks such number.
Article 38
Upon inspecting for the requirements set forth in Articles 34 through 36, a shipping administration authority may require conducting tests or drills on some equipment or facilities, if necessary, in order to be aware of the conditions thereof. The owner or master of the ship shall not reject such request.
Article 39
The rates and charges specified in the ship inspection tariff shall be levied and collected for the inspection of passenger ships by the shipping administration authority.