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