Jakarta, Aug 3 (Antara) - At least 10,000 home-bound Idul Fitri
travelers left Jakarta on free buses on Saturday, heading for
destinations in Java where they will celebrate the post-fasting holiday
of Lebaran on Thursday next week.
The departures on Saturday by the Idul Fitri revelers was part of the
many free home-bound (mudik) programs offered by government institutions
and private agencies amid this year's annual Idul Fitri exodus.
Like last year, some 15 million Idul Fitri holiday makers across the
country traveled to their hometowns for family reunions during the
Lebaran celebrations, and the free 'mudik' programs this year have also
been very helpful for revelers.
Chief of the Central Java community's advisory board Wiranto said the
free Idul Fitri travel would help alleviate the financial burden for
home-bound travelers. "As chief of the Central Java community's advisory
board, I express my gratitude to all parties that organized free trips
for them," he said.
More than 10,000 Idul Fitri travelers rode on 190 free buses that left
Jakarta for destinations in Central Java on Saturday.
Central Java Deputy Governor Rustriningsih saw off the travelers at
Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum in the Indonesia-in-miniature park (TMII),
East Jakarta.
The free buses were made available by the Central Java provincial
government, in cooperation with 35 district and municipal governments in
the province and Central Java government-owned Bank Jateng.
"About 10,260 Central Java residents in Jakarta are traveling on the free buses," Rustriningsih said.
On Friday, state-owned workers insurance firm PT Jamsostek also saw
some 3,100 Idul Fitri travelers depart on 62 free buses. They left
Jakarta for Central Java, Yoyakarta and East Java.
President Director of PT Jamsostek, Elvyn G Masassya, when seeing off
the group at the National Monument (Monas) square said the free buses
were offered to travelers as part of the company's social responsibility
to workers.
The 62 free buses transported some 3,100 travelers to five destinations
in Java. About 50 buses transported formal workers and 12 others
carried informal workers who are participants in the social insurance
scheme.
The five destinations are located in Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East
Java. The insurance participants originate from Jakarta, West Java and
Banten.
Additionally, the Ministry of Transportation also organized free Mudik
for travelers, particularly motorcyclists who wanted to celebrate the
Idul Fitri holidays in their hometowns.
In carrying out the program, the ministry of transportation cooperated
with different groups to prepare land and sea transportation, such as
trucks, trains and ships.
For sea transportation, the ministry will cooperate with state-owned
shipping lines PT Pelni and the Navy. Pelni will use the KM Dobonsolo
ship, while the Navy will deploy the KRI Banda Aceh warship.
Those wishing to join the free Mudik program had until July 31 to register for the program.
"I am happy with this program because it is risky to use motorcycles
during the trip to our hometowns," Warisman, one of the motorcyclists,
said when registering himself.
The ministry of transportation organized the free mudik program for
motorcyclists using ships, trains and trucks to 12 destination cities in
Java and Sumatra. The 12 destinations are Bandar Lampung, Cirebon,
Tegal, Magelang, Yogyakarta, Wonogiri, Tasikmalaya, Cilacap, Kebumen,
Wonosobo, Purwokerto and Solo.
KM Dobonsolo has a capacity to hold 1,700 motorcycles and 3,400
passengers, while KRI Banda Aceh ship has a capacity of 1,000
motorcycles and 2,000 passengers. The two ships are expected to
transport travelers and their motorcycles for free from Tanjung Priok
port in North Jakarta to Tanjung Emas port in Semarang, Central Java. It
will conduct two trips; the first being the departure to home-towns and
the other trip is the return to Jakarta.
For land transportation, the Directorate General of Land Transportation
will cooperate with, among others, state-owned PPD (Jakarta city buses)
in offering free rides to motorists. A special trucks will carry, at no
cost, motorcycles leaving for 12 cities in Java and Sumatra.
The ministry of transportation has set a target in its free 'mudik'
(traveling home) program to transport 2,050 motorcycles and 4,100
passengers.
A total of 34 trucks will be mobilized to transport motorcycles and 80
buses will carry their owners to their destinations.
As in Jakarta, various regions in the country also offered free mudik
programs. In Serang, Banten province, for example, PT Nikomas also
prepared 108 buses to transport its laborers free of charge.
"We have received a report that PT Nikomas is preparing 108 free buses
for its workers wishing to go to hometowns for celebrating the Idul
Fitri holidays," Erik Syehabudin, the head of Banten province's manpower
and transmigration service said.
In Surabaya, East Java, the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry
(Kadin) has also planned to organize a free mudik program for about
3,000 Idul Fitri revelers.
"We organize such a program every year to reduce the number of
travelers using motorcycles and to reduce traffic accidents," Kadin
Surabaya chairman Jamhadi said.
He noted that thousands of travelers would be seen off on 60 buses. "We
open registration until Saturday (Aug. 3.) Those who registered on
Saturday will depart on reserve buses. A total of 24 buses will be seen
off at Rungkut SIER square on August 6," he said.
He noted that another 26 buses will leave on August 7 from the
state-owned plantation firm Perum Perhutani Margomulyo. They will leave
for Malang, Blitar, Jember, Jombang, Mganjuk, Kediri, Tulungagung,
Madiun, Ponorogo, Bojonegoro, and Tuban.
In the meantime, many travelers expressed hope that free mudik programs
would also be conducted for those leaving for destinations in Sumatra.
This is because most free trips are organized for those leaving for
Java.
Some travelers met at Kalideres bus terminal in West Jakarta on
Saturday and said they hoped government or private agencies could also
provide a free travel service for them.
"If there is a free travel service to Sumatra, I will certainly join
it," one of the travelers, Andreas Sugihandoko, who was to travel to
Tulang Bawang, Lampung, Sumatra, said.
He added that he had never heard of a free travel service to cities in Sumatra.
"The free travel service has so far been given only to those going to cities in Java," he said.
Asep Sulistiyana, a traveler to Palembang, South Sumatra, shared his
view, saying "I would certainly be very interested in it (a free travel
service). Moreover, I am a private company employee."
Yunita,
another traveler to Lampung, said the program would also help travelers
to Sumatra, especially now that bus ticket costs rose following the
recent fuel hike.
Andreas, Sulistyana and Yunita decided to go "home" locally, called
"mudik" for the post-fasting holiday on Saturday, to avoid congestion at
the Merak port in Banten, West Java***4***
(T.A014/ine/B003)
(T.C005/A/BESSR/Bustanuddin) 03-08-2013 18:49:5 |
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