Riau to open ferry service to KL

Riau to open ferry service to KL

PEKANBARU, Riau: The provincial transportation office here
will open a sea-lane between Pekanbaru and the Malaysian state of
Malacca this month, an official said on Saturday.

"We have been developing Sungai Duku Port in Pekanbaru into an
international port that can support the opening of the new sea-
lane," the head of the provincial transportation office, Pria
Budi, said.

The decision to open the new sea-lane was made following a
survey conducted by PT Marina Suliki Abdi, which found that there
was an increasing public need the service, he said.

Currently, anyone wishing to travel from Pekanbaru to Malacca
must first go overland to Dumai Port before crossing over to
Malacca.

The trip from Pekanbaru to Dumai is often difficult because of
heavy traffic, Budi said.

To support the development of Sungai Duku Port, the provincial
administration has opened facilities such as an immigration
office, a customs and excises office, and a health office near
the port.

Budi said a ferry would ply the route from Pekanbaru to
Malacca. The trip will take seven to eight hours and tickets will
cost Rp 200,000 to Rp 300,000 per person.

The ferry will make the crossing twice a week, though this
could be increased to daily crossings if demand is high, he said.
--Antara