The Port Authority of Kavala has initiated the procedure of imposing sanctions against the master and those responsible for loading the ship on which a child AmeA who travelled from Thasos without moving from the garage in the middle of a heatwave, the Port Authority of Kavala.

It is noted that on Tuesday, 23 July, there was a complaint from a passenger about the transfer of a disabled child to the garage of a passenger ferry, during the route from the port of Thassos to Keramoti, amid high temperatures. The complaint was made by posting on the internet.

Simplifications and controls

The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, instructed the Kavala Port Authority to immediately investigate the incident and initiate procedures to impose sanctions against the Master and the persons responsible for loading the ship, for violation of the General Port Regulation No. 14.

According to the statement, stern reprimands were issued to the Master of the ship, with emphasis on the fact that he failed to ensure the safe and dignified placement of the disabled child and his companion in an appropriately designed area. At the same time, the Central Service instructed to intensify controls, especially on open-type passenger ferries, in order to ensure that all necessary measures are taken for the unhindered movement of disabled persons.

The Communication

By order of the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, the Port Authority of Kavala has initiated the procedure for the imposition of sanctions for violation of the provisions of the General Port Regulation No. 14, against the Master and the persons responsible for loading the ship. In this context, strict recommendations have been made to the Master, in particular as regards the fact that he did not take adequate care to place the disabled person and his companion in a properly designed and safe area.

At the same time, with strict instructions from the Central Service, inspections are being intensified, especially on board open-type vessels, to ascertain that the Captains of the vessels have taken appropriate care to avoid similar incidents in the future, with the primary objective of ensuring the smooth and unhindered movement of disabled persons and their escorts, as well as the rest of the passenger public.

Second complaint of inhuman treatment

Just 24 hours before the incident with the disabled child, another passenger publicly complained that her heart and kidney patient mother also travelled in the ferry boat garage, in a plastic chair, under exhausting heat conditions, without any help or concern from the crew.

The woman said her mother, who was returning exhausted from hospitalization in Thessaloniki and about to undergo open-heart surgery, had requested the use of the wheelchair lift or a suitable seat. Instead, the crew “was neither trained nor interested. No one knew how the mechanism worked or just didn’t bother,” he said.

“I lost my daily wage to accompany her, I paid for very expensive taxis from Thessaloniki to Keramoti. And despite all this, my mother was humiliated – and we were humiliated with her – by people who have nothing to do with the concept of respect and humanity.”

Microscope on ferry companies

The Ministry of Shipping and the Port Authorities are now called upon to substantially strengthen the control and enforcement of the institutional framework for the service of people with disabilities and vulnerable passenger groups.

The frequency of such complaints, combined with the serious deficiencies in infrastructure and crew training, highlights a deep and chronic problem in the country’s coastal transport, which affects respect for human dignity and the basic rights of equal movement.

In the next period, official announcements are expected from the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and possibly criminal prosecutions, if serious responsibilities arise from the investigation of the port authorities.