Tourists Suffer as Business Rivalry Among Private Boat Operators Takes Ugly Shape in Andaman Tourism

Port Blair, May 09: The business rivalry between Wooden Boat and Speed Boat operators has taken an ugly shape in Andaman, putting high end tourists in a soup.
Recently a sudden order was issued by South Andaman Deputy Commissioner restricted trips of all speed boats, which have out shined all old wooden boats in business by making multiple trips a day in Aberdeen- Ross Island- North Bay Sector.
The order came following a complaint made by Island Tourist Boat Operators’ Association, run by a section of boat operators, most of whom run old and wooden boats. The Complaint said that often tourists remain stranded in Ross and North Bay area because of the wrong practice of small boat operators.
The speed boat owners now allege that the Island Tourist Boat Operators’ Association is run by operators of most of the wooden and old boats, which are slow and can’t make multiple trips in a day and the order of Deputy Commissioner will only hamper the business of speed boat owners who take less tourists but make multiple trips.
“This is sad that Administration issued an order based on a single complaint without hearing the versions of small speed boat operators. DC’s order will not cause any loss to wooden boat owners as they anyway make one or two trips a day but speed boat owners like us, who make multiple trips with few tourists at a time, will suffer heavy loss. This is a business trick,” said a speed boat operator.
Tourists visiting Andaman on a package tour, which promised speed boat trip to North Bay and Ross Island now allege that Andaman Tourism is cheating with them and forcing them to travel in wooden boats which take nearly one hour, to sail between Aberdeen- Ross Island- North Bay area.
As complaint from tourists are reaching national level online tourism companies, the giant companies are now threatening the local tour operators to drag them to court, as they are unable to provide seats to their clients in speed boats for tourists because of new restrictions.
“How will tourism get promotion if orders like this are issued arbitrarily, all of a sudden and against the interest of tourists,” the speed boat operator added.
However, when protested a meeting was organised Deputy Commissioner’s office on Saturday and a new order was released on Monday allowing only three trips to speed boat owners in North Bay Sector and four in Ross Island Sector. The order said that in additional to this one additional trip will be allowed when passengers of atleast one trip is brought back to Aberdeen.
While speed boat owners are still unhappy and are demanding more trips the Deputy Commissioner of South Andaman maintained that this has been done to ensure safety of tourists.
“For Administration safety of tourists is first priority and business part or profit part comes later. What if because of this rush for tourists some speed boats collide with each other? Who would be responsible? We are here to ensure safety of tourists,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
The boat operators however refuse to accept this reply saying that if safety is a priority then why such rules were not introduced earlier and why the restrictions were imposed based on complaint lodged by a section of boat operators, who operate old, slow and wooden boats.
“Why this kind of rule is only applicable in Ross and North Bay sector and not in Elephanta beach, Baratang and rest part of Havelock? Regarding the safety issue a meeting was conducted DC’s conference hall in which  was admitted by the various agencies like PMF, TSET, IP&T manager and marine engineer (DSS) that there is no compromise made on safety in RGWSC for tourist by speed boat owners,” question another speed boat operator.

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