| Achong Tanjong |
WITH the Hari Raya Aidilfitri festivities just a week away, speed-boat operators are experiencing even more brisk business than usual.
Most Temburong residents prefer to travel to the capital by speedboat, to avoid long queues at the Brunei-Limbang border, which are expected to coincide with the start of the school holidays yesterday.
A typical journey to Bangar, Temburong, takes around 45 minutes by boat, compared to the long hours and queues faced by motorists at immigration posts on both sides of the Brunei-Limbang border.
Travelling by speedboat is still one of the fastest means of transport to Temburong District, particularly during public holidays and long school vacations.
For the water-taxi operators plying their trade on the Brunei River, the month of Ramadhan means twice the number of passengers, compared to ordinary days.
Services normally end earlier during the fasting month, owing to the shortened working hours of those in the public service, but water-taxi operators say that they are always ready to accommodate passengers at any time.
To cope with the growing demand, the number of speedboat taxis has also increased.
Passengers are not only locals, but also tourists and the expatriates commuting to work in Temburong District.
A water taxi ferrying passengers. – ACHONG TANJONG
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