[nono1973]

Originally Posted by Black Page

Look at the map.
I assume you will be spending most of your activities in Nagoya, and you will have a room in hotel in Nagoya.
If that is the case, NO WAY I would recommend a friend to take a ferry to Batam Center. Go to Harbour Bay.

Same here,that is if my objective is cheonging in Batam (dropping in any other ferry terminal in Batam, is like i want to go Geylang but i take a taxi to Woodland). I have only traveled via Batam Center twice in my last 6 odd years visiting Batam (if i didnt remember wrong). The rest of the time, Harbour Bay ferry terminal is my preferred choice,hehehe....my comfort choice (like the Horizon advertisement says,hehehe...). Especially so in Horizon's Business class over the last 9 months, which cost S$12 extra on top of the ferry ticket price.

Regular Horizonfast open ferry Ticket : S$48 (direct from their counter)

Orange Horizonfast open ferry Ticket in SG online market : S$40
(can use to travel any day)

Orange Horizonfast open ferry Ticket in Batam travel agent : 375000 rupiah
(can use to travel any day)

#################################

Coupon for the same Ferry ticket selling online : S$6 on average (lowest S$2)

Coupon change to a Horizon open ticket : S$28

Total price for Horizon ferry open ticket : S$28 + S$6 (add S$10 for weekends)

Grand Total :

either its S$34 on average on weekday or S$44 on weekend.

Or it can be as low as S$30 on weekday or S$40 on weekend.

(Mine is S$28 nett + S$12 for Business class last month)

Coupons can also be FOC if one choose to eat in some XXX sea food restaurant around Harbour front tho. This part, i shant add into list above. Another option is Horizon Ferry E-ticket, usually cost between S$28 to S$38 for a 2 way trip.

Which is why i said, Singaporean, non-Singaporean and Sillyporean's reply would be very different on the same question,hehehe...so do not be surprise in your next Batam trip, if you happen to eat in some Singapore cafe/restaurant around Harbour Front and after you pay up, they drop you some stacks of Horizon coupon. And you only end up paying S$28 (2-way) for your trip from Singapore to Harbour Bay,hehehe... or who knows, i chance upon you in Harbour Front Horizon Ferry counter queuing and try to "smoke" you with my cheapo Horizon ferry ticket/coupons at S$28 to S$31?

With all the above circumstances all added together, the ferry ticket today from Singapore to Harbour Bay ferry terminal would become cheaper than from Singapore to Batam Center.

Originally Posted by ndnd

Mafia Taxi have pay "Antrian Fee"

In order to have the right to Q for taking passangers in that area, they need to pay a big sum to the property's owner. For Harbourbay, 4 years ago is about 5juta. Now have a company handling, should be higher.
Thats the reason why they have the right for not allowing online taxi to share their rice bowl there.

Yep, i dont know what type of fee that is called,hehehe...hence i named it "tax" in a general term which didnt quite go directly into the government's wallet.

Again, you spoke of something i didnt know. Thank you.

Originally Posted by Black Page

Indeed. Calling them "mafia" is unfair, I believe.

Which is why in Harbour Bay, in order to differentiate between those who pay the "whatever Antrian fee" (or i simply call it "tax"), they probably came out with this EZY taxi logo whereby they were given a gantry access card that allows them not to have to pay the toll charges at the gantry of Harbour Bay ferry terminal whenever they leave or come to Harbour Bay. Its a good thing...hehehe...but too bad, there's just too little of those stickers to go around for all the taxis in Harbour Bay.

Need to speak honestly,so far none of the taxi with the EZY Taxi has not over-quote me on taxi fare. Those i encountered quoting me 50k rupiah were the ones with NO EZY taxi logo on their vehicle shown on the photo (mafia taxi i suppose dont have the EZY taxi logo too). And it is always good to confirm the fare before getting up any taxi (be it with EZY logo or without) in Batam.

See? Nobody can tell if taxi without the EZY taxi logo pay "tax" (or Antrian fee) or not,hehehe...and they look almost like any regular GoCar/Grab taxis, right? Which is partly the reason why they were often mistaken.