Malaysia’s Desaru Coast Destination Resort (Desaru Coast) has appointed Desaru Link Ferry Services to offer passenger ferry services connecting Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal with Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal.
Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal will connect travellers from Singapore, and eventually the Riau Islands of Batam and Bintan, to the Malaysian destination.
Batam Fast Ferry, which owns Desaru Link Ferry Services, will operate two round trips from Singapore every Thursday to Sunday, and one round trip every Monday to Wednesday, based on market demand. For now, the capacity of the ferries serving this route will vary from 150 to 338 passengers.
Frequency of services and capacity of ferries will be adjusted as market conditions improve.
Roslina Arbak, managing director and chief executive officer of Desaru Development Holdings One said: “The appointment of the ferry operator is an important step in international connectivity for the destination. Establishing this connectivity is central to the long-term growth of Desaru Coast. More meaningfully, an international entry point such as this will bring multi-layered economic and social benefits to communities and businesses in the south-eastern region of Johor and we are privileged to enable and support this.”
Batam Fast Ferry’s chief executive officer Paul R Gannaway said: “Having established Batam Fast as a leading passenger ferry operator in the region, we are pleased to continue our connectivity expansion having earmarked south-eastern Johor as the desired expansion plan. And now, the development of Desaru Coast together with its strategic connectivity infrastructure of a brand new ferry terminal has presented us with the right opportunity to do so.”
