§ 55. Stairways and passageways. 1. Every public vessel certified to
carry passengers shall be provided with (a) permanent stairways and
other sufficient and safe means convenient for passing from one deck to
the other, and (b) passageways large enough to allow persons freely to
pass, which shall be open fore and aft of the length of the vessel, and
to and along the railings, which shall be functional, unobstructed and
passable whenever the vessel is engaged in carrying passengers.

2. In addition to any other requirement imposed by this section,
public vessels certified to carry more than twenty passengers shall be
provided with a minimum of two means of egress on each deck which shall
be functional, unobstructed and passable whenever the vessel is engaged
in carrying passengers.

3. Any person who operates a public vessel, and any owner of a public
vessel who permits a person to operate such vessel, in contravention of
the requirements of subdivision one of this section, shall be guilty of
a violation punishable as set forth in section seventy-three-c of this
article.

4. Any person who operates a public vessel, and any owner of a public
vessel who permits a person to operate such vessel, in contravention of
the requirements of subdivision two of this section, shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor punishable as set forth in section seventy-three-b of this
article.

5. The license of any master, pilot, engineer, or joint pilot and
engineer who operates a public vessel in contravention of any of the
requirements of this section may be subject to the suspension or
revocation of his or her license pursuant to section sixty-four-a of
this article.