LETTERS: Pangkor Island is a popular tourist destination off the coast of Lumut with lovely beaches and sunsets with an abundant supply of fish, prawns, crabs and lobsters.
Among the famed attractions are the Dutch Fort, the mini Great Wall of China, the Pangkor Treaty site, fishing villages, Hindu and Chinese temples.
In addition, since Jan 1, 2020, the island is officially a duty-free island which gave it wider appeal and status.
I recently booked a three-day, two-night package after the Hari Raya holidays. I parked my car in a multi-storey complex in Lumut town and headed to the jetty.
The ferry services came with two ticket options — one for adults and the other for children. The adult ticket for a two-way trip costs RM20.
The ferry was air-conditioned and clean and well maintained.
But, there was no senior citizen ticket. I inquired about senior citizen tickets and was told there were none.
I sincerely hope that the operator will look into introducing tickets for senior citizens and give them a discount.
In addition, the ferry was not accessible to persons with disabilities and the wheel-chair bound.
There is a ramp at the jetty but to get onto the ferry, one has to step onto the side of the ferry and get aboard. There is no ramp or walkway to the ferry from the jetty.
Though there are workers to assist you, it is a challenge for the aged and those with disabilities. And upon getting aboard, there is a lower deck with steps for passengers to get down.
People in wheelchairs and with disabilities will face problems getting aboard and off the ferry. The Penang ferry is more user-friendly for wheelchair-bound passengers.
There are platforms that join the jetty and the ferry and passengers can just walk across them.
Hopefully, the Pangkor ferry operator will look into the plight of senior citizens and wheel-chair bound passengers.
Early this week, there was a letter about the unexplored market for persons with disabilities with the writer urging relevant agencies to be aware of this matter.
Therefore, in that spirit, we should be studying about it and make a more serious effort to appreciate this group of tourists, not to mention the senior citizens as well.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
