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Tinian Express to start charging Tinian-bound passengers
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Posted on Jan 01 2006
Effective today, Tinian Express will charge fees on Tinian-bound passengers from Saipan, instead of giving out complimentary tickets.
The ferry company, however, would reduce the price of ferry tickets from Tinian to Saipan and implement a uniform pricing scheme for one-way tickets between the two islands. Tinian Shipping & Transportation, Inc., an affiliate company of Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, operates Tinian Express.
One-way ferry tickets now cost $15 each for adults and $7 each for children between ages one to four. Tinian Express’ upper deck seats now cost $20 each. The ticket prices do not include the $2.25-passenger fees imposed by the Commonwealth Ports Authority.
Tinian Express used to issue complimentary tickets to Tinian-bound passengers in at least the past two years. For passengers coming from Tinian to Saipan, an adult ticket used to cost $25.
Tinian Dynasty president Tom Liu did not disclose the rationale behind its decision to start charging passenger fees for one-way tickets from Saipan to Tinian, but noted the high fuel prices.
“We should charge for it. It’s time to charge,” Liu said. In November 2005, Liu disclosed that the ferry company had been losing approximately $3.5 million yearly.
Another company, Bridge Investment Group, plans to construct a 300-room hotel and casino resort on Tinian. In December 2005, the Tinian Gaming Casino Control Commission granted that company a conditional license to begin its project, which is expected to cost over $100 million.
Tinian Express’ ferry services reduced traffic between Saipan and Tinian after one of its two vessels ran aground on a Tinian cliffline sometime last October. Since then, ferry services departing Saipan and Tinian went down from five each to two each daily.
The only functional ferry right departs Tinian at 8am and 1pm daily; from Saipan, it departs for Tinian at 9:30am and 5pm. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, Tinian Express provides additional services—the ferry departs Tinian at 1am and leaves Saipan at 3:30am.
