ASDP Aims To Serve 3 Million Passengers During Christmas And New Year Holidays

Corporate Secretary of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Shelvy Arifin. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) targets services to more than 3 million passengers and 700,000 vehicles during the 2023 Christmas and 2024 New Year holidays.

Therefore, ASDP will optimize port facilities and prepare traffic schemes around ports in order to support the smooth running of the 2023 Christmas and 2024 New Year holidays.

Corporate Secretary of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (Persero) Shelvy Arifin said, in order to support smooth traffic during the flow of the Christmas and New Year's Transportation holidays, management will maximize the infrastructure for crossing services and improve in a number of port facilities, especially for 10 routes in 12 nationally monitored branches.

The nationally monitored tracks on Christmas and New Year's Transportation include Ajibata-Ambarita, Tanjung Api-Api Tanjung Kalian, Merak-Bakauheni, Bajoe-Kolaka, Padangbai-Lembar, Ketapang-Gilimanuk, Kayangan-Potoano, Bitung-Ternate, Hunimua-Waipirit, and Bolok-Rote.

ASDP also estimates that the number of passengers on these 10 routes will reach 3,004,496 people, 168,419 units of two-wheeled vehicles, 325,630 units of small four-wheeled vehicles, 31,555 units of buses, and 181,644 units of trucks.

"Since a few months ago, we have prepared a number of strategic steps and improved services for the readiness of ASDP to provide excellent service during Christmas and New Year," he said in an official statement, Tuesday, December 19.

"This has also been confirmed through direct field checks and observations by regulators together with relevant stakeholders, especially in the main track, Merak-Bakauheni and Ketapang-Gilimanuk," he continued.

Increased Capacity At Merak And Gilimanuk Piers

Shelvy said ASDP had also increased the dock capacity at both pier II Merak Port. The increase in dock capacity of II from 3000 GRT to 10000 GRT, renovation of the waiting room, and Access bridge of the executive pier to regular at Merak Port and Bakuheni is carried out to optimize service quality.

For Gilimanuk itself, it is ensured that the movable bridge dock with a capacity of up to 60 tons can operate on Christmas 2023 and New Year's 2024.

"The increase in dock capacity will allow ships with larger loads to dock, such as Jatra II which is ready to operate since December 15, 2023," he explained.

In addition, continued Shelvy, ASDP also optimizes crossing services at the Ketapang-Gilimanuk Cross, starting from December 15, 2023 to January 6, 2024, crossing transportation services from Lintas Ketapang (Banyuwangi) to Lintas Jangkaran (Situbondo)-Lembar (NTB).

"Thus, during this period the Ketapang Ferry Port will only focus on serving service users who will go to Gilimanuk Ferry Port in Bali Province," he said.

Shelvy said, in addition to the transfer of services above, ASDP has also increased port capacity by preparing Buulusan Pier which is located next to Ketapang Port.

To improve the smooth operation and service at Ketapang Port, a service transfer engineering will be carried out which was originally the Ketapang-LCM Gilimanuk LCM service to the Gilimanuk Bulusan-LCM Pier where at Bulusan Pier it will be focused on goods transport vehicles (trucks) that will cross to the island of Bali.

"The separation of passenger vehicles and goods is expected to improve the quality of operations and services at Ketapang Port," said Shelvy.