LABUAN: Following public anger over the hundreds of vehicles left stranded at the Menumbok ferry terminal since last week because of the long holiday recently, Labuan ferry operators have agreed in principle to provide at least 16 additional daily trips for the Labuan-Menumbok-Labuan route every festive season.
The agreement was struck by Labuan Member of Parliament, Datuk Rozman Isli, ferry operator representatives, the Labuan Marine Department and Sabah Ports and Harbour Department yesterday after a meeting was called at short notice.
Labuan’s four ferries operated by Juta Bonus Sdn Bhd and Labuan Mainland Link Sdn Bhd ply the route, with the Galaxy able to accommodate 70 vehicles and 370 passengers, Kimanis 1 able to fit 50 vehicles and 250 passengers, Putrajaya 1 with capacity for 80 vehicles and 400 passengers, and the largest ferry, Goodwill Star, able to ferry 100 vehicles and over 400 passengers per trip.
During the long stretch of holidays beginning on Kaamatan to Hari Raya, the two operators provided nine trips with an extra trip added.
At a press conference, Rozman said a new ferry under Labuan Mainland Link will be ready to set sail before the end of the year and “will ply the Labuan-Brunei-Labuan route, allowing Goodwill Star to fully-serve the Labuan-Menumbok-Labuan route, with more trips daily compared to merely one trip presently”.
On a probable long waiting time to disembark at both ends because of the availability of just one ramp, Rozman said the Labuan Marine Department and Sabah Ports and Harbour Department will come up with a suitable ferry schedule.
The authorities said they will also expedite approval of additional trips.
At the same time, the ferry operators said they will introduce an online ticketing system in compliance with a Transport Ministry directive.
“They are working on it now, and the Juta Bonus ticketing agent —Binabalu Sdn Bhd — is expected to get the ticketing system up and running in October, while Labuan Point Sdn Bhd (Labuan Mainland Link’s agent) before the end of the year,” Rozman said.
An online system will help travellers from Sabah, Brunei and Sarawak plan their journey better.
“The absence of an online system has made it difficult for those on the mainland, particularly, to purchase ferry tickets to Labuan. They have to travel far (the distance from Kota Kinabalu to the Menumbok ferry terminal is 155km) for an ‘unsure-available’ ticket, and most of the time, they fail to get one,” he said. – Bernama
