Electronic charts still not widely used
About 5,000 tankers have until July 1 to adopt system
[SINGAPORE] The majority of ships in the global tanker fleet have yet to adopt the Electronic Chart Display & Information System (ECDIS), according to data published by the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO).
Amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (Solas), an international maritime safety treaty, requires mandatory carriage of ECDIS from July 1, 2015, for all tankers over 3,000 gross tonnes, apart from permitted exemptions.
More than 8,500 tankers will be required to comply with these rules and with less than 10 months to go, the UKHO revealed, 58 per cent of these ships do not yet use an electronic navigational chart (ENC) service.
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