Ternate KSOP to operate 24-hour boat sailings during Nusantara Day
Ternate, The Gulf Observer: The Ternate Harbormaster and Port Authority Office (KSOP) in North Maluku will operate 24-hour speedboat and wooden boat sailings during Nusantara Day in Tidore Island on December 10-13.
“The committee asked us to make travel by speedboat and wooden boats available for 24 hours to serve the movement of the community and guests from Ternate to Tidore and vice versa,” Head of Ternate KSOP Rushan Muhammad remarked here on Friday.
The government will hold Nusantara Day 2023 themed “Knitting Nusantara Connectivity and Maritime Economy from Zero Point of the Spice Route” in Tidore, North Maluku, on December 10-13.
Tidore Island was selected as the host for the commemoration of Nusantara Day, as it was the starting point of the spice route to Europe on December 11, 1521, which was later declared by the government as National Spice Day.
Rushan remarked that more tourists will visit the area during Nusantara Day, so his side will closely supervise boat sailing activities.
“With the 24-hour sailing, we must check the shipworthiness whether the boats are suitable for operation, so that they do not affect the public and other guests’ travel to and from Ternate,” he elaborated.
KSOP will deploy officers to supervise boat travel at the Bastiong and Armada Semut ports in South Ternate Sub-district.
Main guests will be served at the Ahmad Yani Port and Resident Port in Central Ternate.
Meanwhile, Head of state-owned shipping operator PT Pelni Ternate Branch, Whendy Imkotta, stated that his side will make the KM Tatamailau ferry as a free floating hotel during Nusantara Day, as per the Transportation Minister’s instruction.
He explained that KM Tatamailau has seven Class I cabins for accommodating two passengers each and 10 Class II cabin for four passengers in each room, and 907 beds for economy-class passengers.