Efforts are being made to regulate passenger boats on Loch Lomond and the River Leven following the sinking of a vessel.
Vixen foundered around 50m from the shore at Ardlui, Loch Lomond in 2012 and, following a probe by the Marine Accident Investigation Board (MAIB), all councils in Scotland were encouraged to introduce effective boat hire licensing systems.
The vessel, which has six passengers on board and a skipper, sank.
Five of the six passengers donned lifejackets and jumped out of the boat. One passenger, who was a weak swimmer, was not provided with a lifejacket.
She and the skipper remained on board as the boat sank beneath them.
The MAIB report showed Vixen was in poor condition and being operated contrary to legal requirements. Some lifejackets were not accessible in the emergency, and none had the recommended minimum buoyancy.
The matter will be discussed at West Dunbartonshire Council’s licensing committee tomorrow (Wednesday) following a public consultation on changes to boat hirers’ licences in light of the MAIB report. However no responses were received from the month-long consultation period.
Officers, however have considered responses to a previous consultation in 2016 and have drawn up a resolution to licence boat hirers which it is hoped will be adopted by West Dunbartonshire Council.
The report to the committee reads: “There was a concern amongst operators that if the fee level and the cost of complying with proposed licensing conditions is too high, it may not be economically viable to run such boats commercially. The current fee for a boat hirers licence is set at £1,423 for a three-year period.”
The report does go on to say it is anticipated that there is likely to be a reduction in the fee for boat hirers in the West Dunbartonshire area as a result of the move.
