Solo (ANTARA) - State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) confirmed that the presence of the new COVID-19 variant Omicron has not affected the demand for train travel.

"Occupancy has started to increase, although there are still restrictions, at 80 percent, and not yet 100 percent," the company's Operational Region (Daop) 6 spokesperson, Supriyanto, noted in Solo, Central Java, on Saturday.

In fact, Supriyanto pointed out that on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the number of fleets increased by 10 percent as compared to the normal days. He noted that on weekdays, around 40-50 trips were routinely made across Daop 6.

"Meanwhile, on weekends, an additional four to five train trips were made. On average, they go to Jakarta," he remarked.

He noted that Solobalapan Station serves 86 train trips, comprising 10 long-distance train trips departing from Solobalapan Station, 50 passing trains, six Adi Soemarmo international airport trains, and 20 commuter-line train trips, with an average daily passenger count of around four thousand.

Supriyanto stated that especially in January 2022, some 101,129 passengers were recorded comprising 28,096 passengers of long-distance trains, 792 passengers of the Adi Soemarmo international airport trains, and 72,241 commuter line passengers.

Meanwhile, taking into account the ongoing spread of COVID-19, he noted that there was no change in terms of the train travel, with passengers aged 17 years and above being required to show the first minimum vaccine result and a negative result of a rapid test that is valid for 24 hours or show a negative result of PCR which is valid for three days.

"In addition, passengers are in good health and wearing masks. To purchase tickets at the station, they only serve three hours before departure. You can use the KAI access for orders," he remarked.

Related news: KAI cancels to-and-fro Jakarta, Bandung train trips over mudik ban

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had earlier noted that the government had taken precautionary measures against the current surge in COVID-19 cases in Indonesia.

"The government has forecast and taken precautionary measures against this surge by making far better preparations than in the previous years," he remarked in a statement broadcast from Medan, North Sumatra, on Thursday.

The head of state made the remarks in response to the latest developments in COVID-19 cases.

Indonesia recorded the addition of 27,197 COVID-19 positive cases on Thursday, bringing the total tally since the start of the pandemic to 4,414,483, as per official data.

To face the current surge in COVID-19 cases, Indonesia is more prepared in terms of hospitals, medicines, oxygen, isolation facilities, and healthcare workers, Widodo noted.

The number of hospital beds is adequate, he remarked. Hence, people must remain calm, he added.


Related news: KAI tightens train travel requirements during PPKM Level 4

Translator: A Wasita, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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