Ferry Fees to Increase in November

(10/30/2006)

Official ferry fees for sea transportation from Java and Lombok to Bali are set to increase 20% effective November 1, 2006.

The government's approval of the 20% increase in ferry fees is much less than the 76% increase sought by ferry operators to meet rapidly escalating operating costs.

Acknowledging the difficulty of meeting the rising costs of ferry operators on the one hand without, on the other, creating public unrest by introducing higher fares for inter-island passengers, Minister of Transportation Hatta Rajasa has not ruled out the possibility of a further hike beyond the November 20% increase if operators continue to suffer unsustainable losses.