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  Today Online 16 Jan 07
Sentosa jetty, but where will the boat go?
Ferry service likely to return on a smaller scale
Jasmine Yin jasmine@mediacorp.com.sg

ABSENT from Sentosa since services from the mainland stopped four years ago, the ferry may make a comeback at the resort island's popular beach stretch.

Early this month, the Sentosa Leisure Group (SLG) called for a tender on GeBIZ, the Government's online procurement portal, to carry out soil investigations to develop a jetty between Siloso and Palawan beaches. Located near the new musical fountain, the site was chosen due to the transport hub network at Siloso beach comprising monorail, trams, buses and a 650-lot car park.

"Sentosa is an island resort. What is an island without a jetty? It'll be a nice, romantic feature on the island (like) the Bahamas, the Caribbean or some Asian resorts," SLG's general manager Ko Eng Wee told Today.

But he stressed that the proposed facility--located on a "pretty small" site--will operate on a smaller scale than the old ferry terminal, which is likely to be torn down once Genting starts building Resorts World on Sentosa.

Said Mr Ko: "If we have such a facility, we can offer some (boating or ferry) service. But exactly what kind of service or where the boat is going, we really don't know at this stage." He doesn't rule out the jetty being used by island-hopping Singaporeans.

Much of the uncertainty has to do with the flurry of development on and around Sentosa, despite the idea for such a facility being floated before last year.

Plans were unveiled in late November last year to seek ideas to re-develop the Southern Islands, a cluster of six islands about 6km off the southern tip of Sentosa.

Then a week later, on Dec 8, Genting International was awarded the multi-billion-dollar integrated resort deal. It could have the option of restarting the ferry idea.

"We don't want to duplicate each other's efforts," Mr Ko said, adding that approval has yet to be sought from the Maritime and Port Authority. There is no deadline as to when such a proposed jetty will be built, he added.

But Mr Ko's concern may be unfounded, as tourism players this newspaper spoke to welcomed the idea.

Travelling to Sentosa and the surrounding isles by water could enhance visitors' experience, said Association of Singapore Attractions chairman Phun Teow Kie. National Association of Travel Agents Singapore chief executive Robert Khoo said the jetty could help boost visitor numbers.

"Sentosa has been quiet for a long time. It was always there, but had nothing too exciting. Now there are a lot of new things and activities coming up. It'll definitely be good for the industry," he said.
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Related articles on Southern Islands Development Plans including the Sentosa IR
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