Pelni Predicts 16.9 Thousand Passengers Will Use Ships At The Peak Of The 2022 Eid Homecoming Flow

Illustration. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - President Director of PT Pelni Tri Andayani predicts that there will be as many as 16.9 thousand passengers using ships at the peak of the Lebaran 2022 homecoming flow. This prediction is in line with the abolition of the Lebaran homecoming ban this year.

Meanwhile, PT Pelni predicts that the peak of the 2022 Eid homecoming flow will occur on April 26, 2022, or D-6 before Lebaran and the return flow will fall on May 9, 2022, or D+6 post-Eid.

"The prediction of Eid transportation passengers in 2022, which will occur at the peak of the homecoming flow on April 26, 2022, as many as 16.9 thousand passengers and the peak return flow on May 9, 2022, as many as 17.4 thousand passengers," she said in a Hearing Meeting with Commission VI of the House of Representatives (DPR), Tuesday, March 29.

Andayani said that his party also predicts the increase in the number of passengers for Eid 2022 will jump 133 percent when compared to the previous year's Eid period with a seat capacity of 49.267.

Furthermore, Andayani said that the ports that are predicted to experience the highest surge in passengers are in five segments and eight ports. Overall, the transportation flow for Eid 2022 is spread across three regions of Indonesia. It consists of 39 percent of passengers in the West, 43 percent in Central Indonesia, and 18 percent in Eastern Indonesia.

"From the overall predictions, this port consists of the Batam-Belawan, Belawan-Batam, Balikpapan-Surabaya, Makassar-Surabaya, Makassar-Bau-Bau sections," she explained.

In anticipating the surge of travelers during Lebaran 2022, Andayani said PT Pelni would start preparations on April 17 or D-15 to May 18 or D+15 by providing 70 ships.

"The ships provided are 70 ships consisting of 26 passenger ships and 44 pioneer ships, of which 26 are passenger ships," she said.

While the seats provided for passenger ships are 32.447 and for main pioneer ships as many as 16.820. So if the total is 49.267 seats.

"Our passenger ships stop at 76 ports, while the main pioneer ships will stop at 281 ports," she said.

In addition, Andayani explained that the Company has prepared five strategic steps in dealing with Lebaran 2022 transportation. Among them are preparing the readiness of the fleet related to ramp checks or checking the ship's sea level with the Ministry of Transportation including engines and safety equipment such as lifeboats.

"Our fuel has also been coordinated with Pertamina with an average fuel consumption of 30 days during the peak season of 17 thousand kiloliters, while all docking readiness has been completed in mid-March," she explained.

Andayani explained that PT Pelni would also implement health protocols referring to government regulations, in this case, the Ministry of Transportation. Where the travel requirements are two vaccines and one booster but without PCR and antigen.

Furthermore, Andayani said the third step is to make route adjustments which are intended to anticipate a surge in passengers at certain ports and adjust ship schedules with the aim that ships can arrive at their destination ports on time before Eid.

"The fourth step is postal activities and joint monitoring with agencies at the port that we carry out together with Pelindo friends, the National Armed Forces (TNI)-National Police (Polri), and related parties at the port," she said.

Lastly, said Andayani, PT Pelni also provides convenience in purchasing tickets online, through the Pelni contact center, and also through several minimarkets.

"It covers the village level such as Indomaret then websites and online visits and mobile apps," she concluded.