Water Taxis: Palembang, Sumatra

In a bid to ease traffic congestion, the Palembang city administration recently launched a water taxi service along the Musi River.

Syaidina Ali, the head of the Palembang Transportation Office, said that aside from being an inexpensive means of transportation, the service was also designed to support the administration’s Visit Musi 2008 program.

Two motorized water taxis will operate initially, each with a capacity of up to 100 passengers, he said.

To promote the new service, Syaidina said his office would distribute brochures in areas where the water taxis operate.

“This is a cheap form of transportation for those wanting to avoid traffic jams in the city,” he said.

Tickets for the service are priced at Rp 3,000 (33 US cents) or Rp 5,000, depending on the route taken, he said.

Source: Jakarta Post