The government is set to get tough on people impaired by drugs or alcohol when operating aircraft, marine vessels or railcars.
A discussion paper exploring regulatory options for managing drug and alcohol impairment in the aviation, maritime and rail sectors has been released today by the Ministry of Transport.
It is a response to the Transport Accident Investigation Commission’s calls for laws to stop commercial transport operators or recreational users if they are impaired by drugs or alcohol.
“The Government takes these recommendations very seriously. Operator impairment, no matter what the mode of transport, could have dire consequences for the travelling public,” says associate transport minister Craig Foss.
“However, this is a complex issue as the aviation, maritime and rail sectors are very different and may require different risk management methods.”
Following the Carterton hot-air balloon crash, the Government amended a number of rules and regulations to better manage the risk of drug and alcohol impairment, particularly in relation to adventure aviation.
The Ministry of Transport is seeking initial feedback on the paper from sector organisations and associations in particular, and is expected to report back to the Government by the end of June 2015.
The discussion paper is available on the Ministry of Transport’s website .
