Why do we have to get out off the bus in a ferry?
When I was traveling from London to Paris by coach, we need to cross the English Channel by getting on a ferry. After the bus has entered and parked in the ferry, all of the passengers were asked to leave the bus and come back ~2 hours later. Then all of us just wander around and find some place to sleep in the two public decks above where the parking deck is.
I presume it is because of a safety reason, but the reason doesn't seem obvious to me. Why would we need to exit the bus to sleep somewhere?
Best Answer
Passengers are prohibited from the car decks on ferries in most every country in the world. Vehicles can shift position in rough seas and injure people standing between them. And since a rogue wave can appear at any point in time without any warning, the ban applies throughout the entirety of a sailing.
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Why do you have to get out of your car on a ferry?
You have to leave the coach to make evacuation easier. Even in ferries where your coach stays on the top deck, you sometimes have to leave the vehicle. This is because in case of accident, the fear is that it will take too long to escape the vehicle and the risk of going down with the ferry is high.Can you get off your car in ferry?
If you are wondering can you stay in your vehicle on a ferry the answer in most cases is no. Once the vessel starts with crossing, you will not be allowed onto the car parking deck as most of the large car ferries for safety reasons, do not allow passengers to stay in their cars.Why do we say get in the car and get on the bus?
Answer: When you get into a car, you're getting directly into your seat. When you get on to a bus, you are walking on to it, then walking to your seat. Same with a plane, boat and train \u2013 you're able to walk around in the space.Do ferries drive both ways?
A double-ended ferry is one where vehicles are loaded on and off both ends of the vessel and the direction of travel switches so the bow becomes the stern. The greatest argument for a double-ended ferry is when the route is short such as a river crossing.Extreme ferry boarding. Bus onto Ferry
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Answer 2
There is a night train-ferry across the Baltic, which (for example) leaves Germany (Sassnitz) at 23.15 and arrives Sweden (Trelleborg) at 03.15. The whole point of the night train is that train passengers are allowed to stay in their sleeping berth for the crossing, but they can also wander around the ship including the train deck.
I suspect the difference is:
- The train cars are chained down during the voyage, so there's not much likelihood of them coming loose in rough seas
- There's a sleeping car attendant who will stay in the carriage overnight, and wake passengers in case of emergency
- On a bus the driver must take statutory rest breaks (45 mins every 4h30). The ferry is a convenient time for the bus driver to take their break, and so the driver can't be 'on duty' during that time. On the train the attendant travels on the voyage and stays up overnight, but they aren't subject to driving time rules. There are different locomotives in Germany and Sweden and neither drivers travel on the ferry.
Answer 3
The reason passengers are not allowed on the car decks on ferries is that it is illegal. The reason for it being illegal is of course safety, preventing theft from cars, fire hazards (people smoking in their own cars) etc.
This is from Marine and Coast Guard Agency (UK) on ro-ro passenger ships.
3.1 The SOLAS Convention Chapter II-1 Reg. 20-3, requires that “In all ro-ro passenger ships, the master or the designated officer shall ensure that, without the expressed consent of the master or the designated officer, no passengers are allowed access to an enclosed ro-ro deck when the ship is under way.”
Answer 4
People on a bus inside a ferry could do all kinds of mischief. You'd have to expect that someone might do something totally idiotic like starting the engine of a bus and starting to drive. That's obviously idiocy of the highest order, but it could endanger the lifes of hundreds of passengers and crew, and you don't want to take that risk.
Answer 5
It's specifically banned by the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization. (See page 20). It appears to be in response to the loss of the Estonia in 1994.
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