Ruptly
"Easter weekend travellers in Singapore have been frustrated by higher transport costs after several ferry operators imposed a S$6 (US$4.50) fuel surcharge on trips from the island country to Indonesia in mid-March, due to the ongoing Middle East crisis. Affected operators include Batam, Majestic, and Horizon. The surcharge, introduced on March 12, applies to departures from Singapore to Indonesian destinations. To manage costs, some operators are also reducing trip frequencies by up to 40 percent. This reduction, combined with high demand for the Easter long weekend, poses challenges for tens of thousands of travellers booking trips to neighbouring islands. Footage captured on Friday shows people taking advantage of the long weekend to travel to Batam and Bintan in Indonesia, arriving at the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Changi, Singapore. Among those affected were Harsh and his wife Bark, who are expats from India. “When we reached here (ferry terminal) and were taking our booking pass, we learned about the surcharge due to this crisis. As of now, we don’t know how long this will last; if the war continues, it might impact our pockets as well,” Harsh said. In contrast, Elaine, travelling with her family of three, said the surcharge isn’t relevant to her because she booked far in advance. “I tend to travel to places like Bintan or Indonesia only once a year or once every two years, so it doesn’t really affect us.” Asked on the current price, she said, “An S$80-$90 round trip is quite expensive, so I might just go to JB (Johor Bahru, Malaysia) or fly to KL (Kuala Lumpur) instead.” Industry sources attribute the surcharge to a sharp increase in marine fuel prices, which have become volatile due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Ferry operators have faced rising operational costs in recent months, and the surcharge aims to offset these higher expenses without raising baseline ticket prices."
Go to News Site