Water transportation in Indonesia

Traversing Pontianak by the river

By Icha Rahmanti, The Jakarta Post, Pontianak | Jul 18, 2013

One thing all travelers must do while visiting West Kalimantan's capital, Pontianak, is to try out its signature water transportation system to cross the big river dividing the city.

As the city is located at the delta of Kapuas River, many of the residents' activities usually involve crossing the river using the many wooden boats found there, as the Kapuas Bridge is not adequate enough to accommodate the high river-crossing traffic.

Water transportation is a crucial part of the city's lifeblood and is used by many people to reach their workplaces and schools as well as the town's market.

The two common water transportation modes in Pontianak are the sampan wooden boats and speed boats.

The main difference between the two boats, were that the sampans used paddles while the speed boats used motorized engines.

Nowadays, however, many of the sampans are equipped with engines as well, giving rise to the nickname “sampan motor” – although the paddles are sometimes still utilized to give the sampans a little boost along the river.

One ride across the river using either the sampans or the speedboats will only cost Rp 2,000 (19 US cents) per adult.

However, the speedboats will only depart once they are fully loaded with six adults.

Try riding either one of the two boats and one will find the experience to be quite unforgettable. For example, when the small motorized sampan gets too close to passing speed boats, its rough wobble would feel both exciting and scary.

However, speed boat driver Sudi said that the rides were completely safe.

“Unless the boat has holes, there is nothing to worry about,” he said, adding that the ride is available all day long, even in the small hours of the morning.

“Do not be worried [when taking boat rides at night]. You won't get mugged or anything,” he added.

A recommended route for travelers wanting to try the boat rides would be from near the Seng Hie harbor to the famous Pontianak grand Mosque (“Masjid Jami”) located near the Keraton Kadariah palace of the Pontianak sultanate.

The ride takes less than 10 minutes, which may be a little too quick for those wishing to absorb the unique scenery along the city's riverbanks.

source: http://www.jakpost.travel/news/traversing-the-rivers-in-pontianak-kn5vfcAxjshp6WHe.html

Reflection: Some people use this water transportation to go school or office, and it works. So, It can be a good idea to be used in Singapore to reduce traffic jam.