Starting from 7 July, a ferry service between Tanah Merah terminal in Singapore and Desaru Coast terminal in Johor will begin its operations.
Details About The Ferry Service
In a joint press statement released by Desaru Coast Destination Resort and Desaru Link Ferry Services, they said that in the first few months, the ferry operator will be offering one round trip service daily with a passenger capacity of 330 between Thursdays and Sundays.
The journey time between both terminals will take 90 minutes each.
The two organisations added that they will increase the frequency of the services and capacity of the ferries as the demand increases.
Ferry tickets and service schedules will be available online for viewing and booking at desarucoast.com and batamfast.com on 30 June 2022.
A Tedious Route to Approval
Bureaucracy is the bane to many things, among which includes establishing new travelling routes.
According to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), ferry operator Batam Fast had submitted a proposal in March this year to operate a new service between Desaru Coast and Tanah Merah.
It took a month before MPA greenlit the proposal, stating that they would approve the new ferry service only if it was satisfied with the service and assured that it could operate safely.
Among other things, Batam Fast had to submit a proposal that included the following:
- A navigational safety assessment for the proposed route
- An emergency response plan
- Attestation from the certifying authorities that the ferries used were fit for voyage
After months of reviewing, the new ferry service was officially approved and allowed to begin operations on 7 July 2022.
Desaru Link Ferry Services is a subsidiary of Batam Fast which will be in charge of this specific route.
More Investment Potential for Desaru Coast
In an interview with Channel News Asia, Ms Roslina Arbak, the managing director and chief executive officer of Desaru Development Holdings One Sdn Bnd, openly expressed her gratitude towards the all the involved government agencies for supporting and working closely with Desaru Coast to establish this new route of international connectivity.
She believes this development will make Desaru Coast more “even more accessible” to international travellers, which will “unlock new market opportunities in all travel segments”.
Simultaneously, it would position Desaru Coast as an attractive hospitality investment that could draw more like-minded investors for the next phase of the region’s growth.
The Desaru Coast stands to benefit a lot from this arrangement.
Featured Image: Desaru Coast