KRI Banda Aceh Transports 1,026 Homecomers To Semarang-Surabaya

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Navy warship KRI Banda Aceh-593 carried 1,026 travelers from Jakarta and surrounding cities to Semarang, Central Java and Surabaya, East Java, to reduce the risk of traffic accidents due to going home using motorbikes.

The Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy (KSAL) Admiral Muhammad Ali at Kolinlamil Pier, Jakarta, released the departure of the travelers on the warship along with other travelers who took part in the Indonesian Navy's free homecoming program using buses.

So, those on board, who are on the sea route, we use the KRI Banda Aceh from Kolinlamil to go to Semarang and Surabaya. It was recorded that there were 1,026 participants who took part in the KRI Banda Aceh. Then, later on, the return will also use the KRI Banda Aceh from Surabaya, Semarang, then to Jakarta. And, those who use this sea route carry their respective motorbikes," Ali said as quoted by ANTARA, Friday, April 5.

The Indonesian Navy took the initiative to make a free homecoming program on a warship because it wanted to participate in helping the government reduce the risk of traffic accidents whose victims are often travelers riding motorbikes to their hometowns.

"If they ride motorbikes from Jakarta-Surabaya, of course, there are quite a lot of danger. However, if they are here, on the boat, they can rest," said Ali.

In the Indonesian Navy warship, all travelers get food for breaking the fast and sahur provided by the National Amil Zakat Agency (Baznas). For children or those who do not fast, there is also food prepared for them.

Meanwhile, for bed arrangements, Ali said women and children could occupy available rooms, while men on ship decks and heli hangars.

Of the 1,026 travelers transported by KRI Banda Aceh today, 273 of them carried motorbikes. Then, about 500 more passengers will get off in Semarang, and the rest will be in Surabaya.

Then, for the TNI AL land route free homecoming program, there are 120 buses used by more than 6,000 passengers.

The free homecoming program, Ali said, was the result of cooperation between the Indonesian Navy and state-owned banks such as Bank Mandiri, BNI, BRI, BSI, and private banks such as Bank Woori Saudara, Bank Jawa Barat, and Bank Artha Graha, as well as the Ministry of Transportation.

He explained that the buses carried travelers, including Indonesian Navy soldiers and their families. The buses will then take travelers to several areas in East Java such as Gresik, Lamongan, Jombang, and Surabaya, then there will also be buses whose end routes to Yogyakarta.