LANGKAWI – Starting Monday, the earliest ferry departing the duty-free island of Langkawi will be at 4.30am, from the Kuah terminal.
A trip at the ungodly hour is needed to meet passenger demand, said Konsortium Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd (Ferry Line) operations manager Baharin Baharom.
The consortium is the only one offering the service between the island resort and Kuala Perlis, Kuala Kedah, and Penang, as well as Satun in Thailand.
Baharin told media here that the state Marine Department had approved the 4.30am ride to be followed by scheduled trips at 5.30am and 6.30am from Kuah to the Kuala Perlis terminal.
It usually takes 90 minutes between Langkawi and Kuala Perlis.
The consortium now operates up to five daily trips between the duty-free island and Kuala Kedah and Kuala Perlis, with plans to increase trips according to demand.
Meanwhile, the Kedah chapter of the Malaysian Association of Hotels’ chairman Eugene Alan Dass urged the ferry operators to explore new avenues to improve the service.
Dass said in an interview that there is high demand for ferry services now as air connectivity with Langkawi is limited, mostly from Penang and Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, more so as tourism rebounds after two years of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ferries are also a lifeline for the working class who commute between the island and the peninsula daily, as well as budget tourists.
Dass said that to ensure the services are improved, hoteliers hope that the ferry service can be liberalised by opening the market to new investors instead of relying on the consortium of five operators.
“We also need to consider upgrading the ferries to accommodate more passengers and to ensure that the concept of physical distancing can be observed, particularly in the lower deck areas of the vessels. Covid-19 is still classified as a pandemic for now.”
He also said that if the service is good, the consortium should be allowed to raise the prices of the fare.
Dass said that many hotels in Kuah are dependent on ferries to bring in tourists, especially budget-conscious travellers. – The Vibes, September 1, 2022
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