REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - State owned shipping firm, PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia (Pelni) predicted that ship passengers would increase 15 percent during homebound season this year. Business Manager of Pelni Makassar, Adluwiyanto said that the number increased because many passengers switched their preference from air transportation to water transportation due to soaring airfares ahead Eid al-Fitr.
"The number of passengers will increase 172 thousand people compared 150 thousand people last year," Adluwiyanto said on Monday.
He asked passengers to buy tickets from official agents either at port counters prepared by Pelni or by online service system. General Manager of Pelindo Makassar, Riman S Duyo said that the peqk season would start 15 days ahead of Eid with passenger's increase 30 percent or 25.4 thousand people compared from usual.