The operator of the Kerch crossing asked to refrain from traveling to Crimea

The company - the operator of the Kerch ferry ferry "The Maritime Directorate" posted on its website a statement with a request to refrain from trips Crimea in the next two days in connection with the current peak loads.

"In connection with the decision to strengthen measures aimed at ensuring the safety of citizens following the Kerch ferry crossing, we ask you to treat the implementation of measures aimed at ensuring your safety and the safety of your loved ones," the company noted.

The message emphasizes that the operator takes maximum measures to increase the passage of the crossing.

Meanwhile, taking into account the high air temperature, passengers with children and older people are invited to use waiting halls equipped with air conditioners. The halls are located near the automobile and pedestrian cash desks, as well as next to berths, where access only through passenger tickets is possible.

It should be noted that on August 3, the “Marine Directorate” stated that peak loads in the direction of the peninsula were overcome and the turn on the ferry in the port of the “Caucasus” of the Krasnodar Territory does not exceed two hours.

The directorate noted that the peak loads at the crossing towards Crimea were predicted from July 31 to August 3 and they have already been passed. In these four days, the passenger flow exceeded 50 thousand people daily, and the wait in car lines on the ferry at a certain time of the day reached seven hours. At the same time, on July 31, the crossing set a record, missing 51 thousand passengers.

The company then added that new peak loads are expected in early September in the port of Crimea, when tourists begin to return from vacations to the mainland.

Such intense working conditions have already led to incidents. So, on August 2, in the port of the Crimea in the Kerch Strait, the Elena vapor with tourists smoked . The automatic fire extinguishing system worked due to overheating of the engines.

“There was no fire. The cartridge worked like a smoke bomb. There were no injured. The ferry almost on the schedule went along the route after the cartridge was triggered,” the Ministry of Emergencies in the Republic of Crimea said.