A Number Of Notes On The Improvement Of Crossing Transportation

The Waipurit Ferry Port, West Seram, Maluku Province does not yet have a weighing tool. (Special)

JAKARTA Repairs to crossing transportation must be carried out seriously and thoroughly. So that safety and services are guaranteed. The ship caught fire as happened with the Royce 1 Motorboat in the Merak crossing channel, Banten on May 6 can be minimized.

Moreover, said Deputy Chairperson of the Regional Empowerment and Strengthening Division of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) Center Djoko Setijowarno, the regulations have been around for a long time.

Regulations include, the Regulation of the Minister of Transportation Number 115 of 2016 concerning Procedures for Vehicle Transportation on board. Article 3 paragraph (1) states that every port used to transport vehicles by ship must prepare a vehicle weighing device in the port area to weigh the vehicle before being transported on the ship.

Unfortunately, said Djoko, not all ferry ports have vehicle weights at this time, only Merak Port and Ketapang Port do they have, even that is not used.

In fact, transportation companies that lose money in the event of an accident in the waters. Because, when referring to Article 8 paragraph (1) of the law, transportation companies in the waters are responsible for the safety and security of vehicles and passengers and/or the goods they carry.

"For this reason, gradually there must be a procurement of weighing equipment at the ferry port. Vehicles must also provide information about the type and weight of the cargo they are transporting. If they do not comply with the rules, port organizers have the right to refuse vehicles to enter the ship," said Djoko in a statement received by VOI on May 17, 2023.

Article 17 also clearly states the rules when the vehicle is on board. For example, vehicle engines must be turned off, the gearing and hand brakes must be activated, the wheels of the vehicle must be blocked, and all vehicles must be tied (lashing) with a lightning device that is in accordance with the distance and conditions of shipping weather.

Placement of vehicles on board the ship is also not allowed to be arbitrary. Vehicles must be placed elongated (wide) in the direction of the bow or stern of the ship and must not cross the ship. There must be a distance between the vehicle and the ship's walls, not to cover the faucet or fire valve and people's road access.

As also stated in Article 5 of the Minister of Transportation 30 of 2016 concerning the Obligation of Vehicle Binding on Crossing Transport Ships, states that the distance between one side of the vehicle is at least 60 cm; the distance between face and back of each vehicle is at least 30 cm, and for vehicles with side sides adjacent to the ship wall, 60 cm is calculated from the inner wall layer or the outer side of the ivory (frame).

"This means that the regulations have been around for a long time, just waiting for your guts to fix it," said Djoko

The Directorate of River, Lake and Crossing Transportation of the Directorate General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation, said Djoko, has provided notes on a number of improvements, namely:

Vehicle service users who go to the port are still not disciplined in terms of ticket ownership and datamanifest suitability. For this reason, improvement steps can be taken, it is necessary to implement Zoning E, namely parking bags outside the ferry port in accordance with Permenhub 91 of 2021 concerning Zoning in the Port Area used to Serve Crossing Transportation.

The results of coal mining in South Sumatra are prohibited from using trucks entering the ferry to Cirebon (West Java). In addition to violating the rules, the cargo of dangerous goods is always overloaded with more vehicle size or dimensions, so it can speed up road damage, endangering other road users," said Djoko.

12. BPTD must supervise, control and can impose sanctions according to the provisions.

The chaotic operation of crossing transportation in this country must be ended immediately. The disaster that befell the Royce Crossing Motor Ship should be a momentum for improvement so that passenger safety and services are more secure," added Djoko.