Not wanting to go to a fancy port, the ship to the island in Quang Ninh asked to temporarily stop operating.

Immediately after receiving notice from the Van Don District Agricultural Technical Service Center regarding the temporary suspension of Cai Rong inland waterway port operations to review the water area and inspect, perform maintenance and inspection of the project in accordance with regulations, a series of passenger ship owners submitted applications for temporary suspension of operations, starting from 0:00 on April 5.

Some passenger ship owners said that they temporarily suspended operations because they did not agree to have to go to the high-class Ao Tien port (Ao Tien port) to carry passengers. On the other hand, ship owners said that the Van Don District Agricultural Technical Service Center temporarily suspended operations at Cai Rong inland waterway port to force passenger ships to operate at Ao Tien port.

Many people and tourists still choose Cai Rong port as their destination after their journey from the island communes to the mainland.

Speaking with VietNamNet reporter, a passenger ship owner said that operating at Ao Tien port is unreasonable while Cai Rong port is convenient and still operating well.

At Ao Tien port, they have to pay extra berth fees, and cruise passengers also have to pay extra fees and travel further to the center of Van Don district.

In addition, the design of the passenger wharf at Ao Tien port is higher than the ship, making it difficult for people to get on and off the ship when carrying heavy luggage and goods.

Previously, the People's Committee of Van Don district informed that Cai Rong and Ao Tien ports will still operate in parallel, only encouraging ship owners to operate at Ao Tien port.

The ship owners said that the passenger jetty was designed higher, causing insecurity and difficulty for people to get on the ship.

Responding to reporters from VietNamNet, Mr. Ta Duc Quyet, Director of Ao Tien High-class Port, said that the fact that the wharf is higher than the water level is not accurate, because the wharf is designed to accommodate any ship. However, after receiving feedback from ship owners, the port has surveyed and installed more metal stairs to connect to the boarding and disembarking area. Ao Tien Port will quickly handle the separation of lanes and provide deep incentives for residents, tourists, and ship owners.

"Port entrance tickets are free for 5 island communes for a year, all ships entering the port for about 2 months now are free of charge. Everyone is allowed to enter the port to experience the service in advance," said Mr. Quyet.

At Cai Rong port, there are about 65 passenger ships (wooden ships and speedboats) serving tourists and residents in 5 island communes including Quan Lan, Minh Chau, Ban Sen, Ngoc Vung and Co To district.

However, up to now, 10 shipping companies have applied to temporarily suspend operations, which directly affects the people because there is no longer any means of transportation to the island communes. Many tourists are at risk of not having ships to visit the islands, while the tourist season is approaching.

Source