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Nearly 100 ships berth at the Luhuadang waterway service zone in Jiaxing. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province has renovated its waterway service zones since 2020 to offer sailors much better and wide-ranging services, local media reported on Feb 23.

The Luhuadang waterway service zone is one of nine service zones in the city. As an intersection of Hangzhou-Shanghai route, Zhapu-Jiaxing-Jiangsu route and the Huzhou-Jiaxing-Shanghai route, the service zone is usually full of 1,000-metric ton vessels.

Song Chunlai, a sailor on a ship carrying cement from Suzhou to Tongxiang, was being stranded at the Luhuadang waterway service zone for two days because of busy loadings in Tongxiang, the county-level city administered by Jiaxing.

Song is familiar with the Luhuadang waterway service zone as he often takes a break there. He said that after the renovation, he found it more convenient to use electricity and water at the service zone and they can also read books, newspapers, watch television and even do a workout.

Yang Huide from the Jiaxing port and shipping management service center said that thanks to the renovation, sailors from the ships berthing at the city's service zones can entertain themselves without resorting to using other places.

To top it off, administrative affairs can also be handled at the service zone, according to Yang.

Currently, the nine waterway service zones in Jiaxing have offered inspection services to 78 ships, as well as issued 22 waterway transport business licenses and 28 ship transportation licenses.

Moreover, the waterway service zones in Jiaxing have also improved their services for ship berthing, ship repairs, receipt of ship waste and information releases. All the service zones now receive wastewater, including domestic waste, oily sewage and domestic wastewater, free of charge.