Public Sea Transportation in Poor State

Public sea transportation must deal with the high operational costs. The Transportation Ministry has had 25 small boats built and has given them to some regional administrations.

KOMPAS/MOHAMAD FINAL DAENG

The crew of a small ship moor at Barrang Lompo Island Dock in Sangkarrang Islands district, Makassar City, South Sulawesi, Saturday (7/4/2018). Small, individually operated vessels are the mainstay of maritime transportation connecting Barrang Lompo with the mainland of Makassar.

MAKASSAR, KOMPAS — The state of low-cost sea transportation, which is the backbone of passenger and goods transportation in areas across the archipelago, is far from ideal. Many ships are aging, damaged and lacking safety equipment, even though people depend on this means of transportation.

Small traditional wooden boats of up to 500 gross tons (GT), propelled by a combination of engine and sail, make up the bulk of the fleet for low-cost public sea transportation. These small boats ply routes that cannot be served by modern, bigger ships.