Check Merak Port, Minister Of Transportation Calls Homecoming For Eid Transportation 2023 To Increase To 123 Million People

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Eid homecomingers in 2023 are predicted to experience an increase of up to 123 million people. The reason is, the previous year reached 85 million people.

Minister of Transportation Budi Karya Sumadi appealed to travelers not to use motorbikes, because they are directly proportional to the high number of accidents.

"The increase in Eid homecoming transportation is dominated by four-wheeled and two-wheeled land vehicles," said Budi Karya Sumadi in Merak, citing between, Sunday, March 12. The 12 million Eid transportation surge has the potential to occur in vehicle density and congestion, especially the Merak Port and the Jakarta - Semarang Toll Road. Therefore, Mr. President Joko Widodo ordered several ministers to make preparations and anticipation of Eid 2023 transportation, including the Minister of PUPR and the Minister of Transportation. Preparedness for Eid 2023 transportation is expected to run smoothly, safely, comfortably and safely. Currently, he said, his party together with the Acting Governor of Banten, ASDP, Korlantas Polri, Pelni, BPJT, PT Pelindo, PUPR and other stockholders held a meeting to prepare for Eid 2023 transportation. Because, last year's Eid al-Fitr, at Merak Port there was a density of four-wheeled vehicles which reached 37 thousand or 30 percent more than the Eid period of 2019 before the pandemic. So far, said the Minister of Transportation, Merak - Bakauheni crossing has become a favorite mode of transportation for the community to go home, so it is necessary to prepare early on. "We held a coordination meeting involving various parties early, so that the implementation would be better than last year," said the Minister of Transportation. He said, the steps and policies to be carried out so that the surge in movement of passengers and vehicles could remain under control, first, namely preparing an additional dock for breaking the density at seven piers in Merak. In addition, it also prepared five piers at Ciwandan Port and one dock at Indah Kiat Port, while the ships operating in Merak were as many as 65 units and in Ciwandan as many as 15 units.

The second step, it is necessary to massively socialize by ASDP to the public to purchase tickets online, early or at least one day before departure, so that the number of passengers and vehicles passing at a certain time can be managed properly. The third step is to prepare a buffer zone or vehicle deposition site, which will be built on the Merak KM 97 toll road which is expected to prevent congestion in the port area. This place, apart from serving as a rest area, also serves as a checkpoint to ensure passengers already have tickets. Because now travelers can no longer buy direct tickets at the port. "A number of steps will be prepared such as increasing the number of piers at the port, increasing ship trips, accelerating loading and unloading, adding rest areas, to managing ticketing, where we will regularly check developments every week," said the Minister of Transportation.