DFirst sea trial ends with 3-hour maiden voyage of vessel to Serasa terminal

THE maiden journey of the Warisan vessel arrived in Brunei waters yesterday, marking the first sea trial for the car ferry operation between Serasa and Menumbok, Sabah.

The vessel, Warisan Perdana, departed from the Menumbok Jeti in Sabah and took three hours before arriving at the Serasa Car Ferry Terminal, which is expected to be fully operational by October.

From the sea trial, relevant agencies were expected to address any shortcomings that may arise for the preparation of the upcoming car ferry service between Serasa and Menumbok.

The vessel has a capacity of 30 cars and 200 passengers.

Maritime Consultant K Patmanathan of the Labuan Ferry Corporation Sdn Bhd said the aim of the sea trial was to estimate the cost of the distance travelled and speed of the vessel upon the completion of the journey from Menumbok to Serasa, which would influence the future pricing of tickets and fares.

Additionally, Patmanathan said that the success of the vessel will directly influence the decision of bringing in a second vessel operating at the terminal.

"If the service is viable, we might bring in another vessel," he said.

Malaysia is still waiting for Brunei to complete the car ferry terminal, stating that Menumbok has already set up their facilities.

Patmanathan suggested that ports should take up more tendering and minor projects, in terms of the safety of the public and passengers.

The one-day sea trial is expected to be followed by several government-to-government meetings and further discussions on the progress of both car ferry terminals.

Patmanathan went on to say that Malaysia is requesting Brunei to let their operators pay equal fuel surcharges as what local operators are paying, as this would help reduce the operational costs of travelling and ticketing prices.

On hand to witness the event was Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Communications Hj Mahmud Hj Mohd Daud, and other senior officers and officers from the Ports Department.

The car ferry terminal project was one of the projects under the National Development Plan which costs $1.7 million.

The facilities provided includes porta cabins, cabin booths, public toilets, car parking, weighbridge and staff parking for other departments to operate such as immigration and customs, police, health, fisheries and other relevant agencies.

The vessel's arrival was followed by a technical meeting with their counterparts, and later proceeded with the vessel continuing its journey from Serasa to Menumbok.

The event was a follow-up from the coordination meeting held between Brunei and Malaysia.

Malaysian operator Labuan Ferry Corporation Sdn Bhd operates the service between Menumbok and Serasa, while locally appointed operator PLK Jaya Sdn Bhd would operate from Serasa to Menumbok.

The ferry service, which is expected to boost regional tourism, would reduce travel time between Sabah and Brunei from seven to eight hours by land, to about two hours by sea. The Brunei Times