Don’t make ferries wait at Menumbok: Chamber
Published on: Monday, August 05, 2019
By: Sohan Das
LABUAN: Ferries departing here for Menumbok in mainland Sabah must be assured of a vacant landing ramp on arrival to prevent passengers having to endure the misery of waiting, says the Labuan Chinese Chamber of Commerce (LCCC).
Citing his own experience, LCCC Chairman Datuk Wong Kii Yii said the ferry that he was taking recently had to wait for 15 minutes before it could land because the ramp was occupied by another ferry.
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“I took the Putra Jaya ferry which departed here at 6am. On near arrival at the destination, the ferry had to deliberately reduce its cruising speed because the landing ramp was occupied.
“And upon arrival, it had to wait a further 15 minutes before it could finally land,” he said.
He said the availability of a second ramp at Menumbok is important to ensure smooth travelling by the public.
“The problem, if not rectified, is expected to become even more serious as time goes by.”
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Wong said one solution is to adjust the first ferry departure from Labuan to 6.30am so that there would be no waiting at Menumbok.
“It is a good idea to increase the slots of two ferry operators from five to seven per day on festive occasions, but the facilities at Menumbok have to be improved as well without delay,” he said.
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Wong foresees an increase in traffic on the roll on-roll off (ro-ro) ferry services based on the statistics of the Ministry of Transport.
Recently, the Ministry, in reply to an oral question in Parliament, said in 2017 the number of cars in per year was 132,190 and out was 133,499, while for 2018 the number of cars in was 138,681 and out was 134,054.
Wong said the statistics speaks for itself.
There are plans for a second landing ramp at Menumbok, according to the Ministry.
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