Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Banten
The number of homeward-bound ferry passengers at Merak port -- the main gateway to sea routes between Java and Sumatra -- may increase during the Idul Fitri holiday season, an official says.
As a result of the potential rise in the number of ferry passengers, national water-crossing transportation operator PT ASDP Ferry Indonesia has been preparing additional vessels and facilities at the port.
"Last year, we recorded 12,659 vehicles of various types crossing the Sunda strait on ferries during the holiday season and have predicted that figure will rise to more than 15,000 this year," ASDP's Merak branch manager Teja Suparna said Saturday.
The number of travelers moving through the port will increase to 117,377 this year, up from 111,788 last year, he added.
A significant increase in the number of travelers usually occurs during Idul Fitri, Teja said. This year, peak time for the port will be from Sept. 25 to 30.
"The port serves an average of 60 round-trip ferry journeys per day between Merak and Bakauheni in Lampung, carrying some 12,000 passengers in total. For the upcoming holiday season, we expect to serve between 75 and 90 round-trips a day," Teja added.
The company will deploy 24 ferries and 12 speed boats to handle the increase in passengers and vehicle loads.
According to Teja, 15 additional ticket booths will be built at the port, supplementing the four currently in operation.
"The new booths will include five for passengers, eight for motorists and two for motorcyclists," he said.
To deal with heavy congestion at the port's entrance as well as with overflow from thousands of trucks, the operator has also prepared two large parking lots.
"Trucks will not be allowed to cross three days before and three days after Idul Fitri," Teja said, adding mandatory security checks on all vehicles would inevitably cause long delays.
The Cilegon municipality has constructed an integrated bus terminal near the port to ease congestion.
However, Cilegon Mayor Tb. Aat Syafaat said the operational permit for the new terminal had not yet been approved.
"The municipal administration has spent huge sums of money from its annual budget. I'm wondering why several parties are opposing the operation of the terminal," he said, adding the terminal construction was also approved by Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah.
Critics claim the terminal will exacerbate congestion instead of easing it, with the Cilegon Police among those recommending the terminal not be used out of concerns about traffic jams.
City secretary Edi Eriadi said the terminal would be given a test run during the holiday season, with preparations already underway for its successful operation.
"We don't accept the claim that the terminal will create more traffic problems. It was built to help smooth traffic, as we explained in a presentation to the Transportation Ministry," he said.
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