On the 14th, the Hokkaido District Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted a hearing procedure to hear the opinions of the operating company regarding the disposition of revoking the business license of the operating company in the accident where a tourist boat sank off the Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido.
The company did not attend and insisted in a statement submitted in advance that "it is strange that the responsibility for the accident lies solely with the company. The responsibility also lies with the country of the regulatory agency."
In the accident where the sightseeing ship "KAZU 1" sank off the coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula, the Hokkaido District Transport Bureau violated the Marine Transportation Act, such as not complying with the departure decision criteria as a result of a special inspection of the operating company "Shiretoko Tour Boat". As confirmed, last month we decided to revoke the tour boat business license.
On the morning of the 14th, a hearing was held at the Transport Bureau to hear the opinions of the company.
The company did not attend and the procedure was carried out based on the statement submitted in advance.
According to the Transport Bureau, in a statement, the president of the operating company, Seiichi Katsura, complained that "it is strange that the responsibility for the accident lies solely with the company. The responsibility also lies with the country of the regulatory agency." It means that it was done.
At the press conference after the hearing, Yoshito Maesato, director of the Maritime Promotion Department of the Hokkaido District Transport Bureau, said, "The hearing is a place to express opinions, so I would like to refrain from explaining what the country is doing." ..
The Hokkaido District Transport Bureau will consider the results of the hearing and dispose of it promptly.