Ferryboat services plying water routes between Kyunsu and Myeik townships in Tanintharyi Region will likely suspend operations due to increases in the prices of fuel, according to ferryboat owners.

Regular trips have to be suspended due to limited purchases of diesel needed to run ferryboats, said the owner of a ferryboat service in southeastern Myanmar’s Myeik.

“Ferryboat services will not be able to run operations because of skyrocketing fuel prices and limited purchase of diesel. We will cease operations,” said the owner.

The number of trips from Kyunsu to Myeik is also lower than before due to the increase in the price of other goods, and some trips have been cancelled, according to sources close to ferryboat services in Kyunsu.

“Now that commodity prices have gone up, there are fewer people travelling than before, which is completely inconvenient, so we cancelled some operations,” said the owner of a ferryboat in Kyunsu.

If the ferryboats halt operations due to these difficulties, residents may face difficulties in travelling and transporting goods between Kyunsu and Myeik, said locals in Myeik.

“If ferryboats suspend operations, we may face many difficulties in travelling and transporting commodities between Kyunsu and Myeik,” said a resident of Myeik.

Three passenger boats are currently running water routes between Myeik and Kyunsu at a regular rate of three times per day.