The smooth flow of homecoming travelers this year will depend on three factors, according to Minister of Public Works and Public Housing (PUPR), Basuki Hadimuljono.
“First is the available infrastructure, second is traffic regulation/management, third is the behavior of infrastructure users or travelers,” he said at Merak Port, Cilegon, Banten, on Tuesday.
The government has prepared all infrastructures and regulations for traffic management, he noted.
“Now, it is just the behavior of service users. I think we just need to strengthen the socialization of the regulations that have been prepared for travelers,” the minister added.
Hadimuljono, along with the chief of the National Police, General Listyo Sigit Prabowo; Minister of Transportation, Budi Karya Sumadi; and Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Muhadjir Effendy, inspected the 2022 homecoming flow at Merak Port, Cilegon, Banten, on Tuesday
They also visited a number of locations, including the command post for “Ketupat” Operations, the vaccine post, the Merak Integrated Terminal, and the Merak Port Executive Pier.
In addition to observing the homecoming flow and services for travelers, the National Police chief and the minister’s entourage also reviewed the readiness of national police personnel for welcoming homecoming travelers.
Hadimuljono lauded the traffic management arrangements made by the police and the Ministry of Transportation for Eid travel this year.
Minister Sumadi had earlier recommended differential ticket price slabs for ships traveling from Merak to Bakauheni during Eid al-Fitr homecoming, and urged that afternoon tickets be made cheaper than night-time tickets.
Based on directions from President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) regarding the call for early homecoming departure, the ministry has simulated calculations of volume versus capacity for ships, as the number of passengers will increase by 40 percent during the homecoming period, and made two recommendations.
“The first one is to have a disparity in the ticket price for ships bound from Merak to Bakaheuni and vice versa. The ticket price in the afternoon could be cheaper,” the minister said while conducting an inspection at Merak Port on Tuesday.
The second recommendation is the addition of two piers to the Indonesian Port or Pelindo by the Transportation Ministry. The additional piers will handle similar volumes as the existing pier to accommodate more passengers.
“In addition, passengers planning to take the night crossing can buy the ticket at the afternoon prices,” Sumadi said.
Based on his observation, he pointed to an increase in the number of afternoon passengers from Merak to Bakauheni. The trend has become a constant problem at Merak Port, he said.
“However, I laud the hard work of all stakeholders, specifically the collaboration between state-run ferry operator PT ASDP and the regional police,” he added.
Source: Antara News