Pulau Ubin ferry: is $24 too much to pay for "rich biodiversity and rustic charm"?

Pulau Ubin ferry service should operate at fixed intervals during off-peak hours
Letter from Darren Goh Wei Rong, Straits Times Forum 28 Feb 08;

Why is the writer so stingy about paying $24 for two when there are so many willing to pay $35 per person just to hop onto the Flyer?: comment on the letter on the ST website

RECENTLY, I brought my friend who was visiting Singapore to Changi Beach.

We decided to head over to Pulau Ubin for a quick visit because I wanted to show her a different side of Singapore.

We arrived at Changi Point Ferry Terminal at 3pm on a weekday and there was no one else waiting for the ferry to Pulau Ubin.

I asked the ferry operator to take us to Pulau Ubin but he pointed to a sign board which stated that the ferry will only depart when there are 12 passengers.

The ferry operator offered to take us to Pulau Ubin immediately if we paid the fare for 12 passengers which would cost $24 or wait till there were more passengers.

We waited for 15 minutes but there were no other passengers so we decided to cancel our trip to Pulau Ubin because we felt that the ferry service was too expensive.

The Pulau Ubin ferry service should operate at fixed intervals during off-peak hours when passenger traffic is low.

For the ferry operator to insist on operating the ferry at maximum capacity will result in an unreasonably long wait or higher cost of visiting Pulau Ubin.

Public access to Pulau Ubin should be improved so that everyone can truly enjoy the rich biodiversity and rustic charm of the island.

Some "Latest comments" on the Straits Times website as of 9am 28 Feb 08;

I agree with tongcheekin.This bum boats don make much even though if there are 12pax to ferry.It's not that singapore has to show a good impression oto your foreign fren but it is you who had to show a good impression to your fren. Wats $24 to bring ur fren to the island when he already spend thousands of dollars to come to our island perhaps to see you. It all boils down to being a scrooge.
Posted by: joediver at Thu Feb 28 07:50:41 SGT 2008

For twenty over years, it has been this way.
The bumboat (not ferry) operator also need to make a living.
Why is the writer so stingy about paying $24 for two when there are so many willing to pay $35 per person just to hop onto the Flyer?
And he cited <>. So $24 for two is rather worth, and the whole bum boat to themselves, right?
Posted by: tongcheekin at Thu Feb 28 06:12:50 SGT 2008