Labuan ferry tickets until May 8 sold out

LABUAN: Tickets for the roll on roll off (ro-ro) vehicle ferry service from Labuan to mainland Sabah from yesterday until May 8 have been sold out, leaving many mainland voters on the island in a quandary as to how they are going to exercise their right on polling day this May 9.

There are three ferries – Galaxy, Kimanis and Putrajaya 1 from two operators, namely Labuan Mainland Link Sdn Bhd and Juta Bonus Sdn Bhd, which currently provide the service from Labuan to Menumbok, involving a total of eight trips daily.

Of the eight trips, six are by Labuan Mainland Link and two trips by Juta Bonus.

A ticketing staff at Labuan Mainland Link, when contacted said the only tickets still available for the trip to Menumbok on the mainland were those at 11.30 am and 5.30 pm on May 9.

The ferry service operators have yet to decide on providing additional service on polling day due to manpower issue, and if the matter could be addressed, an announcement would be made later.

However, express ferry tickets for passengers cans till be obtained at the Kota Kinabalu ferry terminal, and those intending to travel to Kota Kinabalu by bus from Menumbok, they can still leave Labuan by speed boats to Menumbok and Sipitang.

A resident here, Terence Chong, 45, said he purchased ferry tickets for May 8 from Labuan to Menumbok, Sabah, right after the dissolution of the parliament on April 7, to enable him, his wife and two sons, to return to Penampang to vote on May 9.

“I bought the tickets on April 9, as I know the ferry ticketing will be hectic, if I were to buy at the last moment,” he said. – Bernama