Inter-island ferry operator decision expected in June [1]
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 - 18:15. Updated on Sunday, April 20, 2014 - 12:55.
Bidding to operate Tonga's interim inter-island ferry service closed last week and the successful operator is expected to be announced later this month.
Meanwhile, the interim ferry, the Ajang Subuh will continue its service under Captain Dennis Nisbet and his crew. Dennis said that his contract to manage the running of the Ajang Subuh ends at the end of July, but they were bidding to continue managing the service until March 2011.
He said that the Tongan Government had chartered the Ajang Subuh from a Malaysian shipping company until the end of March 2011.
The Ajang Subuh arrived in Nuku'alofa on 16 April after a 22-day journey from Malaysia, and Dennis said that it took a little while for him and his initial crew of three Tongans and nine New Zealanders to settle down. "The first two weeks of operation were very frustrating but we have done the hard yards. We started off with three Tongan crew, but now we have seven Tongans and five Kiwis, and the operation is running well."
The operation is handled by two different entities. While Dennis and his crew look after the sailing and the daily maintenance of the Ajang Subuh, the Ministry of Transport looks after the commercial side of the operation, including the ticketing, and the loading and the unloading of cargo.
A month after the operation began, the Ajang Subuh is still operating under its full capacity of 70 passengers offering seven air conditioned cabins with four bunks each, and it can carry150 tonnes of cargo.
The fare to Vava'u is $93 for a seat and $180 for a bunk in a cabin. For Ha'apai it is $77 for a seat and $155 for a bunk. The Ajang Subuh runs a weekly service Nuku'alofa-Pangai return and Nuku'alofa-Neiafu return, and a monthly return service to the two Niuas.
Missing beacons
To improve the standard of the inter-islands ferry service in Tonga, Dennis said a lot of work has to be done, "because of neglect and a lack of maintenance during the past years."
The beacons and lights to guide ships into and out of harbours, he said, "are either dead and out of action or have been moved elsewhere.
"Some ports we can't enter or leave in the dark. We have to leave or enter at daylight. When a light is out it should be made known to all mariners. It is illegal for a light to be out and mariners are not informed."
The problem that Tonga faced with its ports falling into disrepair and lack of maintenance was due to a number of factors but by having the Tonga Port Authority to manage only the Port of Nuku'alofa while Pangai, Ha'apai, and Neiafu, Vava'u, were managed by the Ministry of Transport did not help the situation, he said.
A high berth rate of $7000 per month for Nuku'alofa, comparing for only $700 for Neiafu is a major concern, for shipping operators, particularly if the ferry is running under its full capacity.
The arrival of the new Olovaha from Japan in October, while beacons and harbour lights remain in a state of disrepair is a concern, and Dennis said that all ports where the new Olovaha is expected to land need either reconstruction or repair.
"This is why the Ajang Subuh will still be needed to be in operation following the arrival of the new Olovaha, while work is carried out so that the Olovaha could land in Pangai, Neiafu, and the Niuas," said Dennis.