Overcome Vehicle Density At Merak Port, Ministry Of Transportation Opens Two Additional Piers

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Transportation is working with stakeholders and port operators to open two additional ports to the island of Sumatra from Java. This step was taken to overcome the accumulation of homecomers at Merak Port.

Director General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Budi Setiyadi said the decision to open two additional ports outside of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry was based on the density that had occurred at Merak Port recently.

The two piers in question are the piers managed by Pelindo, namely Indah Kiat and Bojonegara.

"These two docks can be used as additions to reduce congestion at the ASDP ferry dock," he said in a virtual press conference, Thursday, April 28.

Budi said that the congestion at Merak Harbor that occurred several nights was due to one of the reasons for the homecomers arriving at the port much earlier than the predetermined schedule.

For example, said Budi, there were travelers who received a crossing schedule at 22.00 WIB, but the person concerned actually arrived at Merak port since noon at 14.00 WIB.

"Many of them came before the hour, finally filling the dock parking area. Even though they just left tonight, which eventually (causes vehicles) to pile up," he explained.

Additional ship

In addition to the jetty, said Budi, the Ministry of Transportation has also prepared additional ships to operate to transport travelers from each of the additional docks.

For the departure from Indah Kiat, said Budi, the additional ship that will be used is owned by PT ALP or Sin Lampung which will cross from Their Port to Panjang Port to Semarang. The ship with a length of 200 meters has started to carry mainly goods.

"We have been able to use it and this morning it was leaning back ready to load today to be used from Merak to Panjang. So not to Bakauheni, because the partner is a dock that owns the sea," he said.

Budi explained that the additional ship will serve as many as two trips or trips with a duration of about 6 hours. The additional ships are expected to reduce congestion and the density of homecoming vehicles lining up to cross to Sumatra.

"Hopefully in the near future we can depart and this ship is large enough to have a length of 200 meters, so if it is carried out at the same time it can lift around 250 mixed vehicles, but for small vehicles it can reach up to 300," he said.

Meanwhile, for those departing from Bojonegara, the ships that will be used are LCT types. The ships will make the crossing from Bakauheni port, Lampung.

"With the addition of two jetties and several ships, it is hoped that this will reduce the number of vehicles waiting in line," he explained.

Not only that, said Budi, to reduce the volume of vehicles lining up, since last night the loading and unloading method was also applied. Where for Bakauheni Port, Lampung, it only serves passenger declines. Meanwhile, Merak Harbor is a place to load passengers.

"The peacock only loads it and then at Bakauheni we just unload it. So it means that once it's unloaded at Bakauheni, the ship immediately returns to load it," he said.