Boats Are Full, A Number Of Residents In Karimun Can't Get Return Tickets For Eid

Riau Archipelago Backflow (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - A number of residents were unable to get tickets for inter-island boats in Karimun Regency, Riau Islands Province (Kepri) due to the high number of passengers returning home for Idul Fitri 1443 Hijri, Sunday, May 8th.

A prospective passenger on a ship bound for Batam at the port of Tanjung Batu Kundur Rinto admitted that he could not depart because the ship's capacity was full. Even though Rinto had been queuing since morning at the ticket sales counter at the port.

He, who had just spent his homecoming in his hometown in Ungar District, wanted to return to work as a private employee in Batam. "I couldn't get a ticket because the ship was full, so I had to leave tomorrow," Rinto said as quoted by ANTARA.

Another prospective passenger, Riko, also couldn't go to Dapur Six, Galang District, Batam because he couldn't get a ticket. He was asked by the ship ticket agent to delay the departure on Monday (9/5), because the back and forth flow on that day was predicted to start to loosen up.

"Information from the ship's agent, today is estimated to be the peak of back and forth flow, because tomorrow civil/private employees will start to work," said Riko.

Meanwhile, other prospective passengers to Tanjungpinang City, Ali chose to leave Monday (9/5) to avoid the density of passengers returning home today.

He and his family who are going home in Ungar Sub-district have even ordered tickets for the ship's departure the day before.

"The ticket is already there, just leave tomorrow. Until Tanjungpinang go straight to work," said Ali, who is a private employee.

Based on information from the ticket sales agent for the ship to Tanjungpinang that two ships have been prepared to anticipate if passengers are still crowded for tomorrow's departure schedule.

According to ANTARA's investigation, the situation for passengers at the inter-island and cross-provincial ferry ports at Tanjung Batu Kundur port has been busy since Sunday morning. Until this afternoon, the passengers seemed to be struggling in line to get tickets in front of the ticket sales counter at the port.