Duck tour operators ‘failed to meet safety standards’

Operators of the Duck tours in London and Liverpool have been accused of operating poorly maintained vehicles and failing to meet standards following the sinking of a vessel in June.

A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that the amphibious vehicles, part bus, part boat, did not have enough buoyancy foam to keep them upright in the water.

MAIB said that it was ‘extremely fortunate’ no-one was injured during the latest incident when one of the distinctive yellow vessels sank in Liverpool.

It was the second Duck to sink in Salthouse Dock in three months.

Another Duck. run by a different operator, caught fire on the River Thames in London in 2013 with 30 people on board. They were forced to jump into the water and were rescued by a tourist board, police and the fire brigade.

"Both accidents resulted in the passengers and crew rapidly abandoning the vehicles while on the water but fortunately, no-one was badly hurt," said the report.

"However, the outcome of either accident could have been very different- there was the potential for the loss of many lives, and there was significant potential for these accidents to have resulted in major loss of life."

The report found the Ducks, built in the mid-1940s and used during the D-Day Landings during WWII, did not have the quantity of foam required.

London Duck Tours made buoyancy amendments to its vessels, but the foam was so tightly packed around machinery that it caught fire, according to the report.

It also stated that in the Liverpool incident in June the passengers and crew weren’t adequately prepared to deal with the emergency that arose.

Periodic inspections and unscheduled interventions by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency had been ineffective, it said.

The operator of the Liverpool tours, Yellow Duck Marine, had its licence suspended following the second sinking in June. London Duck Tours,  which operates trips along the Thames, has made amendments to its vessels following the fire.

It claimed the additional buoyancy foam, which caused the fire, had been fitted at the request of the MCA and once the probable cause of the fire had been established it immediately put in place an alternative solution.

"This work has enhanced safety levels beyond the existing regulatory requirements," it said in a statement released today.

Managing director John Bigos said the MCA had reissued full passenger certificates on December 1 following an exhaustive review.

"This Report has acted as a catalyst to develop a stronger amphibious passenger vehicle industry, consistent regulation and a fit-for-purpose standard," he said.

"LDT, as the European market leader, and an iconic attraction of London will continue to play its full part in contributing to London’s diverse, vibrant and world beating tourism industry."