Port becomes sea of stranded vehicles

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)