Prohibition Of Official Homecoming Effective May 6-17, DPR Asks For Immediate Technical Rules

Passengers waiting for a train at Pasar Senen Station, Jakarta (Photo: Rivan Awal Lingga / Antara)

JAKARTA - The government officially bans Eid homecoming activities this year which is effective from 6-17 May 2021. This effort is being made to reduce the potential for the spread of the corona virus, aka COVID-19.

Member of Commission IX of the DPR Saleh Partaonan Daulay invited the community to work together in efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 to comply with the ban on going home in 2021.

"We hope that we are in the second year, please protect ourselves from going home," said Saleh to VOI, Wednesday, April 21.

According to him, all parties must reconsider which ones have more benefits and which ones do not harm others. Don't let Indonesia have the same fate as India, which has experienced a surge in new COVID-19 cases.

"I think homecoming culture is good, but in a pandemic situation it's a bit heavy so we have to weigh the benefits of going home or not going home. For now it seems more useful not going home. If you can use cellphones, video calls now, I think it can save costs. , "he explained.

The chairman of the DPR PAN faction asked the government to immediately socialize the technicality of the ban on going home. Also coordinating with the local government and the police to regulate and tighten supervision for travelers who are reckless.

"The government in making rules must be measured to be implemented. I heard that the sanction of Rp. 100 million should be reduced. If it is prohibited to go home, the Police and the Regional Government must guard the borders, so if there are people going home on the border, they should not come out," said Saleh.

In line with Saleh, Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Azis Syamsuddin, asked the government to immediately issue technical regulations regarding the Circular of the Head of the COVID-19 Handling Task Force Number 13 of 2021 concerning the Elimination of Homecoming during 6-17 May 2021.

"Immediately issue the technical regulations prohibiting the 2021 Eid Al-Fitr homecoming, so that the regional government and security forces can immediately arrange plans for the isolation of travelers," Azis said in his statement, Wednesday, April 21.

In addition, Azis encouraged local governments to coordinate with security forces in preparing a strategy to tighten the restrictions on the routes passed by travelers. As well as supervising points that have the potential to become community gathering places to prevent crowds.

"The participation of local governments is important to consider closing tourist attractions during the Lebaran holidays, as an effort to limit places that become crowds of the people," he said.

The government, in this case the Ministry of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi, said that the technical regulations regarding the ban on going home are still awaiting coordination and direction from the COVID-19 Handling Task Force.

Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister for Human and Cultural Empowerment (PMK) Muhadjir Effendy admitted, there are concerns that the government has about the 2021 homecoming activity that reflects last year.

According to him, there will still be travelers who are determined to travel. It is even predicted that the number of naughty travelers will reach 13 percent of the 73-80 million people who usually go home for Eid. Or there are around 10 million reckless travelers in the Eid 2021 period.

"And the 10 million is quite a scene. It is quite chaotic, twice the population of Singapore," Muhadjir said in his statement, Wednesday, April 21.

Therefore, Muhadjir said, his party was trying to find ways to minimize the number of residents who did not comply with the homecoming prohibition.

However, in line with the ban on going home, the National Police Corps has implemented blockages on various roads to prevent all motorized vehicles, both on main roads (arteries), toll roads, and mouse lanes.

Polda Metro Jaya traffic director, Kombes Sambodo Purnomo Yogo, said the officers briefed travelers and gave sanctions in the form of a U-turn. If there are still residents who are determined to go home.

"This means that motorists must return to their original location. However, in certain cases, officers can take legal action or a ticket," he said in an official statement, Tuesday, April 20.

Certain cases referred to are travelers using illegal travel services or motorists offering these services. They will be subject to sanctions in accordance with Article 308 of Law Number 22 of 2009.

In this regulation, it is stated that drivers of vehicles who do not have a license to transport people on the route or a permit for transporting people not on the route are subject to imprisonment of up to two months or a maximum fine of Rp. 500,000.

Reflecting on last year, officers from the Traffic Police of Cianjur Police, West Java, inspected the vehicle at the Cepu 8 check point, Saturday night, May 30, 2020. The vehicle was suspected of carrying travelers returning to Jakarta.

"Illegal travel has violations, then trucks are used to transport people, there is an article on the violation, right? "Of course we will act on articles like that," said Sambodo.

"But if it is only a matter of going home and so on, we will just turn around," he added.

Meanwhile, bus operators who continue to operate during the ban on going home will be subject to sanctions in the form of reprimands or business revocation from the Ministry of Transportation.

The latest information is that the DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub) will take firm action against public transportation caught carrying travelers when the homecoming ban is imposed on May 6-17, 2021. One of them is to stop transportation operations as a violation sanction.

"Every inter-city service violation during this year's homecoming ban, a stop operation will be carried out," said DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency Head Syafrin in Jakarta, Wednesday, April 21.

The sanction, he continued, applies to all public transportation, both travel services and intercity and interprovincial (AKAP) transportation services that are determined to operate in shadow terminals. The DKI Jakarta Transportation Agency will also close the terminal in Jakarta as long as the homecoming ban applies.

"So for public transport and illegal travel we will do it consistently," he said.

However, Syafrin said, the stopping of operations for public transportation that violates its nature is only temporary and will be allowed to operate again after the 2021 homecoming period ends.

In addition, the Transportation Agency will also cooperate with the police to anticipate public transportation carrying travelers in border areas.

Syafrin said that every passing vehicle would be checked by identifying the travel or bus carrying the travelers. Last year there were more than 400 illegal travel cars detained.

"And this year, based on that, it is very easy to identify which ones have committed violations and which ones are really moving because of urgent needs," he explained.