KUALA KEDAH: Ferry passengers bound for Langkawi at the Kuala Kedah ferry terminal today were left fuming after their trips were cancelled at the last minute due to bad weather.
Checks at the Kuala Kedah ferry terminal at 5:30pm found some passengers frantically seeking nearby accommodation, having to wait until tomorrow for the next available trip.
Civil servant, Basrul Ariff Abas, 33, expressed his frustration that the ferry operator's customer service only notified him of the cancelled trip 15 minutes before his scheduled 3.30pm departure.
Basrul, who works in Langkawi, said the trip's cancellation also meant he would be late for work tomorrow.
'Now I have to inform everyone at the last minute that my trip was canceled. I was also supposed to be at work tonight, but that has to be cancelled for now.
"I'm very frustrated with the whole ordeal. The ferry operator mentioned I could get a refund, but the process is so tedious.
"It's been a very unpleasant day," he said at the ferry terminal, accompanied by his wife, Khalijah Yusoff, 33, also a civil servant.
Khalijah said they are now looking for emergency accommodation to spend the night before taking the earliest ferry to Langkawi tomorrow.
"We travelled all the way from my husband's hometown in Kuala Kangsar. So now we have to find a hotel to stay in tonight, which is an unnecessary cost that we have to bear," she said.
Meanwhile, Afiq Azman, a 23-year-old Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Merbok student, also expressed frustration as he searched for emergency accommodation.
Afiq, returning home to Langkawi for a semester break, said this was the first time he had experienced such an incident.
"I'm just trying to go back home for a short semester break, but the 'balik kampung' mood has been spoiled today. Like everyone else here, I was only informed about the cancellation of the trip at the last minute.
"I understand that it's unsafe to travel due to bad weather at sea, but they really should have informed me earlier. Now, it has left me in a difficult situation," he added.
Konsortium Ferry Line Ventures Sdn Bhd operations manager Norhafiz Abdul Wahid confirmed that the four trips were cancelled due to bad weather at sea.
He said a total of 808 passengers were unable to travel from Pulau Langkawi to Kuala Kedah, while 890 passengers from Kuala Kedah to Langkawi were affected.
"We were informed that wave heights were around four metres high and wind speeds were around 16 to 18 knots, which could endanger ferry and small boat activities.
"The cancelled trips were the 2.30pm trip from Langkawi, the 4.30pm trip from Kuala Kedah, the 4.30pm trip from Langkawi, and the 6.00pm trip from Langkawi.
"Konsortium Ferry Line Ventures has provided an additional trip option for passengers who wish to take the extra route from Pulau Langkawi to Kuala Perlis today at 6pm," he said in a statement.
He added that passengers who wish to change the date and time for the following day can do so according to the existing process.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused," he added.