Water taxis on the Wadden Sea still sail too fast

Water taxis on the Wadden Sea sail regularly in the dark to three times harder than allowed. Out Research by Omrop Fryslân It appears that in the last four months of last year, the water taxis brought almost 230 times the maximum speed of 20 kilometers per hour. The overruns varied from a few kilometers to speeds of 60 kilometers per hour.

The maximum speed in the dark was set after a water taxi collided with Terschelling in 2022 with a fast ferry from Rederij Doeksen. In that accident, in which both ships sailed at too high speed on opposite rates in the early morning of 21 October, four people on board of the Water Taxi were killed.

The water taxis provide quick connections on call next to and outside the regular ferry services between the mainland and the Frisian Wadden Islands Vlieland, Terschelling and Schiermonnikoog. Since two years, to and from Ameland are no longer nocturnal water taxis. The broadcaster relies on position and speed data that the AIS transsponders broadcast on the ships. No data was available of two of the total of nine taxis. A year earlier, the broadcaster found 155 violations.

Enforcement

Ferries can sail faster in the dark, if they stay within the navigation channel. During the day there is no maximum speed. After the accident in 2022, the Safety Board (OVV) with a series of recommendationsincluding the streamlining of legislation and making data available more broadly, such as transponder and radar data with a view to enforcement by Rijkswaterstaat.

Radar information may not be used now to intervene in the event of violations. Traffic leaders at the Brandaris lighthouse can only point out of their speed, but they cannot maintain. Patrol vessels can act when they catch a ship in the act on a speeding violation. According to the OVV, « this happens little because ships immediately notice a patrol ship and then adjust their speed ».

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IENW) is worrying the results of the investigation.

In a joint statement, the water taxi companies say that the investigation shows that there is a need for accessibility of the Wadden Islands during the night hours. For example, the accidental water taxi transported construction workers on their way to a job on the island. The entrepreneurs hope for a status change of their ships in ‘Kleine Veerpont’, where they can sail faster. Minister Madlener (IenW) wants to come up with a test before the summer where water taxis can make a faster crossing at night. This would put an end to the « nocturnal isolation » of the islands.

In July, the case must collide against both skippers of the vessels in 2022. They are on trial, among other things, for death due to guilt.

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