Police Vow To Arrest Drunken Boat Navigators

THE Police have said as part of their new marine safety measures, they will arrest boat navigators found drunk while on duty, writes Steven Candia.The commandant of the Police Marines Unit, Joseph Katuramu, on Thursday said the move would make water transport safer against a background of increased accidents.Katuramu said they had received complaints of navigators taking to the waters while drunk and at times slumbering into sleep in the course of the journey which puts the passengers’ lives at risk.“What happens to the passengers when the navigator who is drunk falls a sleep and the boat is hit by a powerful wave?” he asked.Katuramu said many boat owners and operators have made drinking part of their lives, a habit he said must stop.“Definitely we are now not going to accept it. We will not allow that kind of behaviour to continue. We are going to be vigilant making sure we supervise that,” Katuramu said.“Should they discover that the person who is going to navigate is drunk, they will just have to arrest him,” he added.As part of the new marine safety measures, last month, the Police directed that all boat operators acquire life jackets equal to the number of passengers on board and also banned night travel on water. The Police warned of dire consequences for non-compliant boat owners and operators. Ends