LABUAN: With the school holidays and Christmas round the corner tens of hundreds who depend on Labuan-Menumbok ro-ro (roll on- roll off) services are frustrated over the long wait at the ticket counter at the terminal to confirm their travel plan.
“What added to the misery was after the long wait for more than an hour in the long queue upon reaching the counter told there was no more ticket available on the desired date of travel, derailing the family Christmas holiday plans. Is there no solution to this?” asked a regular commuter.
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This situation has come about by of suspension of the online ticketing service by the main operator of the ro-ro services since beginning of the month due to system upgrade.
Member of Parliament Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman slammed the operator for subjecting the commuters to such unnecessary ordeal which could have been avoided through proper planning.
He said “as an experienced operator it should know that year-end was peak travel season and not the right time to shut down the online ticketing.”
He urged the operator to show accountability and address and not ignore the problem by setting up more ticket counters at the terminal and outside “ as commuters dread purchasing at the terminal as it was already a crowded place with limited parking and the queue was so long that it was overflowing out.”
Based on previous marine statistics usually at such holiday season some 4,000 vehicles and 8,000 passengers exit the island.
Suhaili added that for fear of such situation that recently he proposed in parliament that the Labuan Corporation (LC) should consider investing in modern high-speed ro-ro ferry between the two points.
The Labuan Mainland Link Sdn Bhd is the main provider of this marine service with four ferries - Putra Jaya 1 (85 vehicles and 500 passengers), Goodwill Star (85 vehicles and 420 passengers) and Kimanis, Joy Star ( each can carry 55 vehicle and 220 passengers).
Another operator is Juta Bonus with Galaxy and Blue Ocean.
These vessels operate additional trips during peak travel seasons.
