GOVT READY TO FACE IDUL FITRI EXODUS

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Aug 21 (ANTARA) - The government has prepared different transportation means, services and security measures to facilitate the flow of an estimated 15.5 million post-fasting month Idul Fitri home-bound travelers this week.         The exodus of home-bound travelers has been an annual event in Indonesia where Muslims flock to their home towns to have family reunions and celebrate the post-fasting month Idul Fitri or Lebaran festivities.          As the number of this year's Idul Fitri travelers is estimated to increase 4.17 percent from that of last year's 14.9 million, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on related officials to increase services for the travelers.          The president made the appeal as early as two days before the start of the fasting month. He ordered the  provision of supporting facilities and infrastructures to smooth the journeys of home-bound travelers.          "As of  now, everything has to be prepared because traveling home  is the community's annual tradition. The home-bound trips  (locally known as "mudik") were very good because the people could meet friends and relatives," the president said.          In the face of next week's exodus peak (the Ramadhan fasting month is expected to end on August 29 or 30), State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Mustafa Abubakar gathered on Sunday with directors of state-owned companies which were operating in the transportation sector to ascertain the readiness.          Among SOEs whose directors were summoned by the minister included those of the  national flag carrier PT Garuda Indonesia (airlines), PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (inland waterways transportation service), shipping companies PT Pelni, railway firm PT Kereta Api Indonesia,  airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II, road construction company PT Jasa Marga and state oil and gas firm PT Pertamina.          The directors of each of the state firms made an expose to the minister on their readiness to face the Idul Fitri travelers. "It seems that everything has been well prepared. The state-owned firms are now ready based on their respective fields," the minister said.          According to the ministry of transportation, the number of Idul Fitri travelers this year (2011) is estimated at 15.5 million people, up 4.17 percent compared with last year's 14.9 million.          Travelers going home from Jakarta alone are predicted to reach 7.129 million, up 12.98 percent from last year's.          Mustafa said all modes of land, air and sea transportation  had now been made ready to provide their best services to the people, including their readiness to provide security measures and comfortable trips.          This is in line with President Yudhoyono's  instruction to all government institutions having links with transportation to provide better services for home-bound travelers  to celebrate Idul Fitri.          "PT Kreta Api (railway company) will increase the number of its train carriages to anticipate an increase in the number of passengers, ASDP has raised the number of its ferries at Merak-Bakauheni ports for travelers to cross the Sunda Strait from Java to Sumatra island or from Sumatra to Java, while Garuda will increase  its seating capacity," Mustafa said.          President Director of PT Kereta Api Ignasius Jonan said his firm would increase the number of  coaches to anticipate the surge in the number of passengers, particularly during the peak of travelers' flow which was expected to take place three days before and two days after the Idul Fitri.          However, the state-owned railway company was not expected to increase the number of  its locomotives in the face of the 2011 Lebaran festivities.          In the meantime, ASDP President Director Danang S Baskoro said his company was preparing 40 ferries, including 28 ships operated during last year's Lebaran.  "ASDP will operate 10 ferries while private operators will deploy 30 ships," Danang said.         The flow of Idul Fitri travelers at Merak port of Banten are expected to peak on August 26, 2011 four days before D-Day. "We have predicted the flow of Idul Fitri travelers at Merak ferry port will peak four days before D-Day," Irwansyah, head of the Merak Integrated Terminal (TTM), said.         "The peak will happen four days before D-Day this year because government agencies and companies will begin to grant holiday leaves for their employees four days before D-Day," he said.          In the meantime,  President Director of the national flag carrier Garuda Emirsyah Satar predicted that the number of air passengers this year would increase by 25 percent compared with that on regular days.          "We will add 99 extra flights beginning seven days before and seven days after D-Day," he said.          To ensure the availability of fuel needed by vehicles, the Pertamina management assured that fuel oil stocks for supply such as premium gasoline, diesel oil and avtur (aircraft fuel) had exceeded the minimum requirement set for Lebaran to face the surge of passengers in all modes of transportation.         In Java for example,  stocks for supplies during the festivities are adequate. "Supplies will be secured. We have prepared the supplies startin three months ago," Pertamina General Affairs Manager for Refinery Unit (RU) IV in  Cilacap, Central Java, Sutarno, said.          For travelers' security, police  have guaranteed the safety and security of this year's Lebaran holiday travelers because they become the priority of traffic police, the police chief said.          "The security of holiday travelers is our priority and therefore we have made various anticipations of possible security disturbances against them," National Police Chief Gen Timur Pradopo Timur Pradopo said.          In order to assure the readiness of all state-owned transportation firms, Minister Mustafa Abubakar pledged to conduct inspections on their services in critical areas during the Idul Fitri exodus.          "I will observe it on the spots to see the services and facilities. Therefore I have not disclosed places where I will conduct on the spot inspections," he added.***5*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/22:26/a014) 21-08-2011 22:31:0