Langkawi RORO users rise over 10% this Raya celebration (Updated)

LANGKAWI: The number of vehicles booking the Roll-On, Roll-Off (RORO) ferry services at the Tanjung Lembong port here had shot up 10.94% in the current Hari Raya celebration period as compared to the corresponding period last year.
Datuk Azizan Noordin, the chairman of Langkawi Port Sdn Bhd which operates the Tanjung Lembong Port said 2,241 vehicles booked the services for this year's celebration against 2,020 in 2017.
"Some of the ferry users had even booked the service more than three months ahead of their trip and this increase indicated the strong interests among travellers to use RORO as their mode of transport," he said after a Selamat Pulang Perantau programme.
The programme saw him together with Kuah assemblyman, Mohd Firdaus Ahmad and Langkawi Port general manager, Muhd Nasir Abdul Aziz distributing goodies while wishing the travellers a safe trip for the celebration.
Azizan said last year, the RORO service handled about 250,000 vehicles and this number had multiplied from just a mere 15,000 vehicles when the service started back in 2013.
Azizan said Langkawi Port had completed an expansion works on the Tanjung Lembong port last year which included the creation of an additional berthing point for RORO ferry and a shipyard for repairing and rehabilitating yachts.
In addition, he said a new covered drive lane was also constructed on the ferry bound or arriving from Kuala Perlis for the comfort of the growing number of users. A similar facility had also been planned for the lane to the Kuala Kedah's ferries.
Meanwhile, Mohd Firdaus hailed the port authority's initiative to improve the facilities which would not only enhance the users' comfort but would also improve the safety around the port area. — Bernama