Section 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.