Locked Pier Leaves Ferry Passengers Afloat

//ed.note: link to related article not available//

(Habertürk Newspaper, 2 October 2011)

Hundreds of passengers set out from Kabataş in the morning at 10:50
aboard a fast sea ferry run by IDO. The ferry's route took it to Burgazada,
Heybeliada and Büyükada and as it reached Büyükada the passengers
were discharged. However, since the exit door at the pier had been locked
by the worker there the passengers couldn't get out. The ferry's captain
took note of  the situation and waited for the door to be opened so the
passengers could leave. When this didn't happen he made an announcement
for the passengers to re-board the ferry.

The passengers were then discharged at the Heybeliada pier and the captain
announced that they could board a conventional ferry to go to Büyükada.
But the conventional ferry's captain didn't want to bring the stranded
passengers on to his craft without paying the requisite fee, which sparked
an argument between the passengers and the crew. Ultimately, the
passengers were allowed to board the conventional ferry for free and
arrived at Büyükada an hour late.

IDO spokesman Tolga Uyar confirmed that the incident had occurred and
that some of the passengers had made contact on the matter with IDO
officials. Uyar explained that 'the assigned person who had not opened the
pier doors on time said in his statement that the confusion stemmed from
the change to the winter schedule last week. In such a situation, the unit
chiefs terminated the worker for not fulfilling the responsibilities of his job.'