Ministry Of Transportation: Illegal Transportation Or Illegal Travel Usually Doesn't Pay Attention To The COVID-19 Health Protocol

Police officers examine evidence of illegal travel vehicles at the PMJ Traffic Directorate Precision Field, Jakarta, Thursday (29/4/2021). (Photo: Muhammad Adimaja/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Director-General of Land Transportation of the Ministry of Transportation Budi Setiyadi explained four risks for people who force themselves to go home to use illegal travel agents.

First, passengers are at risk of being exposed to COVID-19 because illegal travel does not carry out health protocols. If one passenger is carrying the virus, then that one car will be infected which will then endanger the community at the destination of travelers.

"Illegal transportation or illegal travel, usually the driver or operator does not pay attention to the COVID-19 process. Anyway, it is full, the fuller the merrier", Budi Setiyadi said in the webinar "Healthy Homecoming from Home" with the Road Safety Action Network (Safe Distance), as reported by Antara, Saturday, May 1.

"That's why we take precautions by taking firm action against illegal travel so that people don't get COVID-19. If there is one who carries the virus, all of them will get it", he said.

"The second risk is that illegal travel passengers do not get traffic accident insurance coverage, such as Jasa Raharja's insurance, does not guarantee", he said.

Budi explained, the third risk for travel passengers is high fares or fees, but not accompanied by optimal service.

"Illegal travel costs very high. Passenger losses, higher prices, and no COVID-19 prevention protocol services", he said.

The fourth risk of using illegal travel is that it can damage the official land transportation ecosystem. He said that official bus passengers will decrease because some passengers force themselves to use illegal travel.

"Illegal travel destroys the transportation ecosystem that is legal or licensed. So if the official bus with a yellow plate leaves the terminal and the passengers are lacking, it is a result of other passengers using the illegal travel. Damaging the ecosystem", said Budi.

The Directorate of Traffic of Jakarta Metro Police has arrested 115 illegal travel vehicles in the Jakarta area and its surroundings in two days of operation, April 27-28, 2021.

A total of 115 illegal travel was netted through the joint operation of the Directorate of Traffic of Jakarta Metro Police and the Transportation Department of DKI Jakarta Province. The operation is carried out both through cyber patrols on social media and direct surveillance on the homecoming route.

Road Safety Action Network Coordinator Edo Rusyanto said, apart from limiting the spread of COVID-19, restricting homecoming also reduces the number of accidents.

"Based on National Police Traffic Corps, in 2020, accident cases fell 31 percent with the fatality rate also decreased by 63 percent", he said.

However, Edo reminded the potential for community mobility remains during the homecoming period, for example when traveling in the city.

"Keep implementing health protocols, and most importantly maintain mutual safety so that the problem of traffic accidents can be minimized", said Edo.

For this reason, Edo again echoes the synergy of stakeholders, both government, private and public, to jointly suppress accident fatalities to the maximum.