As per data, on April 4, 2024, ships headed from Samarinda to Melak, West Kutai, ferried 104 passengers, 30 tons of goods, and 19 motorbikes, the head of Samarinda's Kunjang River Pier, Melinda, informed on Saturday.
"Meanwhile, the ships heading from Samarinda to Long Bagun, Mahakam Ulu district, carried 52 passengers, 30 tons of goods, and seven motorbikes," she said.
On April 5, the number of passengers increased further, with ships bound for Samarinda-Melak transporting 133 passengers, nine tons of goods, and 25 motorbikes.
Meanwhile, ships bound for Samarinda-Long Bagun carried 61 passengers, 15 tons of goods, and 16 motorbikes.
The trend of increasing passenger numbers continued on April 6, with ships bound for Samarinda-Melak carrying 170 passengers, seven tons of goods, and 31 motorbikes.
There was a significant increase in ships on the Samarinda-Long Bagun route, which carried 203 passengers, 10 tons of goods, and 25 motorbikes.
"The option of going home via water transportation is still popular with East Kalimantan residents," Melinda said.
She added that every day before ships depart, they carry out a ramp check on all ships operating from the Kunjang River Pier to ensure the safety of passengers.
"We also appeal to passengers to comply with safety protocols during the trip," she continued.
"Going home via water transportation in East Kalimantan offers several advantages, including relatively cheap ticket prices, greater capacity for goods to be transported, and beautiful river views along the journey," she said.
Ship tickets on the Samarinda - Melak route are priced at Rp180 thousand (US$11) per passenger. Meanwhile, ship tickets on the Samarinda - Long Bagun route are priced at Rp440 thousand (US$28) per passenger.
Related news: Cruising Mahakam River, the pulse of Samarinda City
Related news: Pelni provides eight ships to serve homebound travelers in Jayapura
Translator: Ahmad Rifandi, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2024
