Ahead of Lebaran 2026, the Ministry of Transportation will test picking up passenger ships at Batam Port

JAKARTA - Ahead of the 2026 Lebaran transportation period, the Ministry of Transportation has tightened safety supervision for shipping by conducting a passenger ship safety test in a number of strategic ports, including Batam, Riau Islands.

The Directorate of Shipping and Maritime (Ditkapel) of the Maritime Transportation Directorate General together with the Batam Special Port and Port Authority (KSOP) Office carried out a passenger ship test in three main ports in Batam. This activity was led by the Head of the Testing Team of the Ditkapel, Capt. Maltus Jackline, accompanied by the Head of the Marine Marine Division of the Batam Special KSOP, Hendra Sucipto.

The Emerald of Dumai fast boat, which serves the Batam-Tanjung Balai Karimun-Dumai route, is the first ship to be inspected. The route is one of the main routes for cross-island movement, which is expected to increase significantly ahead of Eid.

Director of Shipping and Maritime Affairs of the Directorate General of Marine Transportation, Samsuddin, emphasized that the sampling test is not merely an administrative activity, but a proactive step to ensure early shipping safety.

"We are conducting this test as an initial step to ensure that all passenger ships are truly seaworthy before entering the 2026 Lebaran transportation period. Passenger safety must be ensured while the ship is still docked at the port," said Samsuddin in an official statement, Friday, January 23.

Samsuddin explained that the sampling test was carried out simultaneously throughout Indonesia in the period from January 19 to February 19, 2026. From a total of 264 monitored ports, Ditkapel carried out direct inspections at 15 major ports with the highest volume of maritime transport, including Batam.

According to Samsuddin, Batam is of special concern because of the characteristics of its territory which serves domestic passenger transport, cross-country, and fast boats which are subject to international safety conventions.

"Batam is one of the priorities because it has a high passenger movement rate, serves fast boats, and cross-country transportation is bound by international safety conventions. Therefore, safety supervision in this area must be carried out more strictly and consistently," he explained.

Currently, a total of 107 passenger ships are operating in the Batam Special KSOP area and are spread across five passenger ports. In addition to Emerald of Dumai at the Sekupang Domestic Port, the inspection team also inspected the Oecanna 18 ship at the Harbour Bay Port and the MDM Express 09 ship at the Batam Center Port.

During the inspection, the team carried out a thorough check on the maritime aspects of the ship, ranging from the condition of the hull, engines, navigation systems, to the completeness of safety equipment for passengers and crew.

Samsuddin emphasized that all ship operators must ensure that all safety equipment functions optimally without exception, especially ahead of the peak transport period.

"Safety knows no tolerance. Our principle is clear, zero compromise for safety. Every ship that operates must meet all safety requirements in accordance with applicable regulations," he said.

Samsuddin also emphasized the importance of synergy between all stakeholders, from regulators, ship operators, to captains, in creating safe and reliable shipping.

"Maritime safety is a shared responsibility. The government is supervising, operators must comply with the rules, and the captain has full responsibility when the ship sails with passengers," said Samsuddin.

Through the implementation of this pick-up test, the Directorate General of Maritime Affairs hopes that maritime transportation services during the 2026 Lebaran period can run safely, orderly, and smoothly, as the increasing mobility of the community makes maritime transportation the main choice for homecoming travel.