Government to Monitor Transportation Operators

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JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government has said that it will monitor transportation operators during the homebound and homecoming travel periods of the Idul Fitri, or Lebaran, holiday at the end of Ramadan. It is hoped that no operators will violate the government’s price ceiling policy.

The Transportation Ministry will inspect transportation operators and ask passengers to ensure this.

Floor and ceiling prices are implemented for bus and airplane travel.

“Currently, there will be no extra charges [tuslah] during the Lebaran holiday. We have determined the floor and ceiling prices. For this year’s Lebaran, operators can increase prices as long as it does not go above the price ceiling,” Transportation Ministry Land Transportation Director General Budi Setiyadi said in Jakarta on Friday, May 10.

The Transportation Ministry estimates that there will be higher public demand for buses on several routes across Java during this year’s Lebaran holiday. As the Trans-Java highway is already complete, travel time will be shorter.

“As airplane tickets are getting pricier, people in Java will switch to buses. Outside Java, people will switch to ships,” Budi said.

Indonesian Young Bus Employers (IPOMI) chairman Kurnia Lesani Adnan said that people were more enthusiastic about using buses nowadays. “We predict that [the number of passengers] will be 40 percent more than last year,” said Lesani, who owns the Siliwangi Antar Nusa bus company.

He said that the Trans-Java highway had made bus travel times shorter and more certain. “After the Trans-Java highway was completed, bus services have become more reliable and passengers are more comfortable,” Lesani said.

However, he also said that such optimism was unavailable for bus routes in Sumatra. “Currently, the toll road [in Sumatra] only reaches Terbanggi Besar, Lampung. Once it reaches Palembang, I believe that the number of passengers will grow,” he said.

Bus rider Jumirah, 61, also felt the higher enthusiasm for bus services in this year’s Lebaran holiday. “I bought a ticket for June 2. Only a few seats were left,” she said.

Jumirah said that she bought an executive-class ticket for Rp 530,000 (US$36.95). “Usually, it’s less than Rp 300,000 for an executive class seat from Jakarta to Kartasura, Central Java,” she said.

Normal prices

State ship operator PT Pelni estimates that the number of passengers during this year’s Lebaran holiday will be 3.5 percent higher than in the same period last year. In 2018, 604,202 people used ships for their Lebaran travels.

PT Pelni secretariat head Yahya Kuncoro said that the company would not increase its prices during the holiday. “Prices are the same in the off season and peak season. We obtain a public service obligation [PSO] from the government, which also determines prices,” Yahya said.

Among the ship routes expected to be crowded is Batam-Belawan, on which an economy-class ticket is Rp 220,000. Other crowded routes are Balikpapan-Surabaya (Rp 413,500) and Jayapura-Biak (Rp 208,000).

State railway operator PT KAI’s VP of public relations Edy Kuswoyo also said that train ticket prices would not go up during the Lebaran holiday.

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia’s VP of corporate communication Ikhsan Rosan said that Garuda ticket prices would most likely stay the same during the Lebaran holiday. “For certain routes, Garuda ticket prices are already at the ceiling price. They cannot go up anymore,” Ikhsan said.

Meanwhile, the Cikarang Utama toll gate on Jakarta-Cikampek toll road will be moved to the Cikampek Utama toll gate at Kilometer 70. This will be done to reduce traffic congestion at the Cikarang Utama toll gate. Furthermore, toll booths will be added to the Kalihurip Utama toll gate at Kilometer 67 of the Cipularang toll road.

Public Works and Housing Ministry Basuki Hadimuljono said that the toll gate movement would not affect prices for short distances. However, it will affect the toll road fee. (ARN/NAD)

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