The Pauktaw Tagun speedboat ferry running between Sittwe and Pauktaw in Arakan State has suspended services this month as it is facing losses, owner U Shwe Phaw Thu told DMG.

The Pauktaw Tagun and Shwe Pyi Tan boat lines provide ferry services between Sittwe and Pauktaw.

U Shwe Phaw Thu said his business faces loss due to high fuel prices, while the total number of passengers is being split between the two services, meaning fewer for each.

“The number of daily passengers is about one boat’s worth, but two boat lines are sharing them. When Shwe Pyi Tan schedules one more run, it looks like three boats are providing the service a day. So, the number of passengers on our boat is down and we cannot cover the monthly loss,” he said.

He added that he could not say exactly when Pauktaw Tagun might be able to resume the Sittwe-Pauktaw service.

However, more than 200 passengers took Shwe Pyi Tan’s boat on February 12, after the Pauktaw Tagun suspended its service. A passenger said he was worried about the safety risks as the boat carried more passengers than it should have.

“We are worried about the risk of being overloaded on the ferry. And, if we wait for more passengers, the boat cannot leave at the scheduled time,” said an anonymous resident of Pauktaw town.

A staffer at Shwe Pyi Tan’s office in the Arakan State capital Sittwe said Shwe Pyi Tan regularly carries 195 passengers, but the number of passengers after Pauktaw Tagun suspended its service exceeds 210 on some days.

U San Maw Thein, owner of Shwe Pyi Tan boat service, said: “We run two boats now. The number of passengers sometimes increases, especially during festivals. When Pauktaw Tagun suspended the service, the number of passengers on our boat increased. We are arranging to do something, maybe running one more boat, to avoid overloading.”

Pauktaw Tagun launched its services in 2019.