Ministry urged to help resolve ferry delay issue

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OFFICIAL LAUNCHING: Pairin (left) pounding paddy to mark the launching of the Labuan Kaamatan Festival. — Bernama photo

LABUAN: Sabah has called on the Transport Ministry to immediately resolve the issues causing a delay in the operation of the two-newly appointed ferry operators for the Labuan-Menumbok-Labuan route.

Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan said the delay in operations, despite an approval issued in January, had caused confusion among consumers in Labuan and Sabah.

“There have been no more problems on the Sabah government’s side, but the Ministry of Transport has yet to come up with any solution, which has caused a delay in the operation,” he said after launching the Labuan Kaamatan Festival.

Pairin noted that the Sabah government never had any intention of delaying the two operators, who received approval and landing rights in January this year.

According Pairin, who is also the State Industrial Development Minister, the operators are currently conducting trial runs to test and determine the effectiveness of their ferries’ capabilities.

Labuan-based Mainland Link (LML) Sdn Bhd and Sabah-based Juta Bonus Sdn Bhd were granted approval by the Sabah government after numerous complaints about Labuan Ferry Corporation, which has been accused of monopolising the ferry service for over a decade.

Pairin had been put under pressure and received numerous criticisms for the long delays in starting the service.

Apart from finding willing operators and the fact that it is a small market for three operators to compete in, the issue is further complicated by overlapping legal and jurisdictional rights.

Landing rights are under the control of the state government, but the licence to operate ferry services comes under the jurisdiction of the federal government.

The Sabah government broke Labuan Ferry Corporation’s monopolistic hold on the ferry service between the island and the mainland after it decided to open the route to two other companies in an effort to improve the quality and reliability of the service.

Passengers relying on the ferry service to commute to and from Labuan daily have to endure unreliable services and have been complaining of sub-standard facilities on the ferry and the terminals in Labuan and Menumbok.

The incumbent operator, angered by the prospect of having to share the
market with two other competitors, has claimed that the lack of facilities
and amenities at the terminals were the main causes of the problems. — Bernama