Got ferry has officially stopped operating to move to the new, larger and more beautiful Dong Bai ferry.
Mission accomplished after 20 years
In early March, Giao thong Newspaper reporters returned to Got ferry terminal, which just a few days before was always bustling with people and vehicles. Now, the terminal is quiet in the middle of the vast waves.
The administration building and ticket booth for Got ferry are still there, but the former ferry ramp has been blocked off by a barrier. The shops along the ferry terminal are closed and quiet.
The larger and more beautiful Dong Bai ferry has replaced Got ferry.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoai, who lives near the ferry terminal, said that her family used to open a grocery store selling to ferry passengers, which was the family's main source of income.
Since the Got ferry stopped operating, due to her advanced age, she has stayed home to help her children and grandchildren with housework.
"I know that people take the new, more modern ferry, and it's time for me to retire. But I still can't help but feel regretful.
Whenever people think of Ngoc Cat Ba Island, they think of Got ferry.
Got ferry has carried many people and is also a place of livelihood for many others for over 20 years," Ms. Hoai confided.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga, a water seller at the ferry terminal, said she has been selling for the past 10 years.
With just a small table of tea, some peanut candy, a few boiled eggs, a bunch of bananas... she can earn about 200,000 VND/day.
When Got Wharf stopped operating, she and dozens of other water vendors at the ferry had to find other jobs to make a living.
"Over the years of being attached to this ferry terminal, we have so many memories.
Tourists who visit the shop sometimes not only pay for drinks, but also bring many sad and happy stories from all over the world. Got Ferry is like a part of the memories of this place," she shared.
Nostalgic memories of the past
In 2002, Got ferry terminal on Cat Hai island officially came into operation with the task of taking people and tourists to Cai Vieng wharf in Phu Long commune of Ngoc Cat Ba island.
Got ferry terminal will be reclaimed to make an industrial park and seaport.
The leader of Hai Phong Waterway Traffic Assurance Joint Stock Company said that before stopping operations, Got - Cai Vieng ferry transported an average of 3,700 passengers, 700 vehicles/day, more than 3 million passengers per year.
On weekends and holidays from April 30 to May 1, the number of passengers and vehicles increased by 1.5 - 2 times.
During peak tourist months, the ferry terminal often operates at full capacity, leading to overload and congestion.
During peak tourist days, visitors sometimes have to wait all day to get on the Got ferry to Cat Ba Island or from Cat Ba Island back to the mainland.
Many tourists even had to sleep overnight because of ferry congestion.
February 29 is the day Got wharf runs the last ferries before moving to the new wharf.
Being present on that last ferry, Giao thong Newspaper reporter shared with passengers and staff at the wharf an indescribable feeling of sadness.
"I will miss Got ferry, the waiting times, the traffic jams that lasted for kilometers in the hot summer weather mixed with the salty sea breeze blowing through," said Mr. Tran Van, a tourist from Hanoi.
For the staff and workers working at Got wharf, it has a different feeling.
They miss the old wharf, the memories and stories associated with the activities of picking up and dropping off passengers, taking advantage of their free time to chat with the drink sellers to forget the pressure of work.
Captain Pham Van Ngoc said that although he knew that the closure of Got ferry port marked a new development, after more than 10 years of working at the old ferry port and with the people living near the port, he could not help but feel mixed emotions.
"Happy to be working at the new, more modern and convenient ferry terminal. Passengers don't have to wait long for the ferry. Hopefully there won't be any more traffic jams.
But I am also sad to leave the place I used to be attached to. Moving to the new ferry terminal is like leaving an old house full of memories," said Mr. Ngoc.
Hope to end traffic jams on Cat Ba
When Got ferry stopped operating, Dong Bai ferry 4km away was put into operation to serve people's travel needs.
In fact, Dong Bai ferry terminal is completing its infrastructure, landscape, and waiting room.
During the first days of operation of Dong Bai wharf, passenger service and traffic flow were very good.
Dong Bai Wharf has an area one and a half times larger than the old ferry wharf. Of which, the water surface is more than 2.1 hectares wide, the traffic road to the wharf is 1.8 hectares wide, the waiting area is more than 830 square meters wide, the roof system is about 1,500 square meters...
With modern facilities and higher transport capacity, when the wharf is reinforced with 5 more large ferries, the congestion during peak tourist seasons will certainly no longer exist.
According to the assessment of the leaders of Hai Phong Department of Transport, compared to Got ferry terminal, Dong Bai ferry terminal has basically overcome the cause of traffic jams.
In particular, the route down to Dong Bai ferry terminal does not have the "bottleneck" situation causing traffic congestion like at Got ferry terminal before.
Mr. Vu Manh Trung, Head of Dong Bai ferry terminal, said that in recent days, passenger transportation has been very smooth, with each ferry trip taking about 25 - 33 minutes.
The new wharf route is 1.86km long (Dong Bai - Cai Vieng); the old Got - Cai Vieng route is 1.74km, so the journey length is 0.12km (120m) longer.
"Currently, the ticket price for the new ferry terminal remains the same as the old terminal. All 152 officers and employees of the old ferry terminal have been transferred to the new terminal to best serve the travel needs of the people and tourists," Mr. Trung informed.
Mr. Trung also added that in the coming time, the ferry officers and employees will still use the old headquarters of Got wharf for their daily activities.
According to a report from the People's Committee of Cat Hai district, the number of tourists coming to Cat Ba in 2024 is expected to exceed 3.6 million. Tourist groups come to Cat Ba mainly by road.
Therefore, putting Dong Bai ferry terminal into operation before the summer of 2024 will make it more convenient for tourists to travel to Cat Ba island, limit traffic jams, and reduce waiting time for ferries.
Got ferry terminal will be reclaimed by the city in the near future to serve the development of industrial parks and seaports.
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