Port becomes sea of stranded vehicles

BANTEN, West Java: Merak, the biggest ferry port on the western tip of Java, has been a sea of stranded trucks and cars for the past four days.

Antara reported yesterday that the traffic jam, similar to those in the Idul Fitri Moslem holidays, was due a dearth of ferries working the Sunda Strait from Merak in West Java to Bakauheni in Sumatra.

Of the 16 ferries usually serving the route, only 6 are operating. Eight have been docked for repairs and the remaining two have expired licenses.

Smaller ferries are usually not allowed to cross the strait.

Intermittent rain Wednesday worsened the traffic, forcing thousands of passengers waiting for ferry services to walk 15 km to the port.

Thousands of trucks and buses were likewise stranded in Bakauheni, with queues stretching 3km from the port.

A ferry official, who refused to be identified, said his boat had to suspend operations due to the unpredictable weather.

Bad weather last week caused a ferry boat and a cargo ship to collide head on in the Sunda Strait, where strong winds in the rainy season usually cause huge waves. (swe)