Labuan ro-ro ferry fare for private vehicles rises by 42.5 pct

LABUAN, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- After 15 years, the private vehicles fare for the roll-on roll-off (roro) Labuan-Menumbok-Labuan ferry has been revised upward by 42.5 per cent effective Nov 1.

Labuan roro ferry operator Labuan Mainland Link Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Chin Hong Vui said the revision, which excludes commercial vehicles (transporting goods), was made after taking into consideration a spike in operating costs.

The new fare for sedan type vehicles is RM57 for a one-way trip, compared to RM40 previously, and RM67 for MPV/SUV, four wheel-drive (4WD) single/double cabin, other types of vehicles 4WD, Private Van, compared to RM50. Motorcycles below 250cc will pay RM26, while motorcycles 250cc and above will pay RM41.

“Our company has tried its best to maintain the existing fare despite the high investment value coupled with fare rates that have not been changed for the past 15 years,” he told Bernama today.

Labuan-Mainland Link is a ro-ro ferry operator servicing the Labuan-Menumbok, Sabah route with its three ferries namely MV Goodwill Star, MV Putrajaya and MV Kimanis 1. In addition to its fleet for domestic route, its MV Joy Star ferry services an international route between Labuan and Muara, Brunei.

Hong Vui said Labuan Mainland Link had invested tens of millions ringgit in acquiring four ferries aimed at providing a safe, comfortable, time-saving, and efficient service to commuters, and that the revision was made after taking all aspects into consideration and took more than six months to plan.

“We have decided to review our ro-ro ferry fares only for private vehicles as we are still able to abosrb rising operating costs….we will not increase the fare for commercial vehicles such as lorries and trailers, as it will cause prices of consumer goods in Labuan to rise,” he said.  

He said roro ferry operators like his company had to operate at a loss while ensuring consumer goods supply was not cut off for people in Labuan during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the government to impose the Movement Control Order (MCO) for two years.

“We had to operate even with an empty load without private vehicles and passengers due to these orders.  

“The RM300 increase in workers’ minimum wages from RM1,200 to RM1,500 per month enforced by the government has contributed to an increase in each grade or salary scale of the entire company by RM300….and this increase accounts for a 25 per cent increase in the company's operating costs,” he said.

--BERNAMA