ASDP Merak Operates 28 Ferries For Lebaran Holiday

Merak, Banten, July 21 (Antara) - The inland waterway services company, PT ASDP, has deployed 28 roll-on roll-off (roro) ferries to serve the 2014 Lebaran holiday travelers at Merak port in Banten province, according to company`s public relations officer, Mario Utomo. "We have placed 28 ferries on standby to handle the inflow of Lebaran holiday passengers, so that they will not have to stand in long queues before being ferried to Bakauheni port in Lampung, Sumatra island," Mario stated here on Monday. He noted that PT ASDP has stationed its ferries at Merak port and are ready to serve the travelers heading to Bakauheni port and then on to their respective native villages in Sumatra until they return to Merak after the holidays. Mario remarked that the number of home-bound travelers is likely to peak next Saturday because civil servants and employees of private companies will commence their holidays on Sunday. "On Monday, the transportation services from Merak to Bakauheni started to witness an increase in passenger volume," he added. He reported that since Sunday night until Monday morning, some 2.5 thousand private cars and 800 buses had been ferried to Bakauheni port in Lampung, whereas on normal days only some 1.5 thousand private cars and 300 buses are ferried. Mario added that the deployment of 28 ferries is expected to deliver the best possible services to the travelers and will help to prevent spiraling queues at the port.