SOCHI, July 20. /ITAR-TASS/. Tensions at the Kerch ferry crossing eased up after the “Olympiada” ferry ship, which can take up to 600 passengers and 170 cars onboard at a time, has begun operation between Port Kavkaz terminal (the Krasnodar territory) and the Crimea port terminal (on the opposite side of the Kerch Strait). The waiting time for rolling into a ferry has been reduced from two days to 10 hours, a source at the Single Transport Direction told Itar-Tass on Saturday.
The number of cars lining up for a ferry at Kavkaz port decreased from 1,450 last Friday to 510 last Saturday. About 15 cars are waiting for the ferry at Krym port on the opposite side of Kerch Strait.
"Five ferries, including the one type Olympiada and its sister ship Ionas, plied between the two ports last night. They made 17 crossings in both directions in the course of 12 hours. They ferried about 1,520 vehicles,” the source said.
The ferries have made 45 crossings in 24 hours, ferrying about 4,100 vehicles and around 3,600 passengers on the “combined ticket”.