2018.7.27
Ankwei Chen
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications issued the Jiao-Hang-10750097371 Order dated July 27, 2018 in which it promulgated the amended Articles 242-1, 242-3, 255, 288-6 and 325 of the Regulations for Vessel Equipment (the “Regulations”) and the deletion of Article 242-2 and Schedule VI-1 under Article 242-1. The Regulations came into effect on the day of their promulgation, and Article 242-3 will go into effect on July 27, 2019. However, the effective date for the Class 14 vessels shall be set by the competent authority. The amendments are highlighted below:
First, to ensure the safety of navigation and hands, reduce the risk of collisions between vessels and enhance the efficacy of rescue efforts in and investigation of maritime incidents, adjustments are made to the rules regarding the ship automatic identification system (AIS) . With respect to the performance of a ship’s AIS, the amended Article 242-1 of the Regulations specifically requires the structure and performance of the system to meet the requirements of the International Maritime Organization and obtain the certification for relevant Class A and Class B specifications set by the International Electrotechnical Commission.
In addition, to specifically regulate the type of AIS platform that is appropriate for the vessel nature and type, the amended Article 242-3 of the Regulations is requiring all classes of ships to install one AIS platform, which meets the Class A specifications, during the first regular or special inspection after the new system comes into force. In case of Class 14 vessels as set forth in Article 3 of the Regulations, an AIS platform that meets the specifications for Class B may be used as a substitute.