Jakarta (ANTARA) - Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi affirmed that the government continues to provide support for transportation infrastructure development in Indonesia in a bid to encourage people to switch to using public transportation.

The minister made the statement while visiting several transportation nodes in Garut City, West Java, on Sunday (Feb 4), including the Guntur Melati Type A Terminal and Garut Train Station.

"I went to Guntur Melati Terminal to witness firsthand the service at this terminal. I saw that the facilities at this terminal were very good," the minister noted in a statement from the Ministry of Transportation in Jakarta.

“I had discussions with several passengers, (and) they admitted that they were satisfied with the service provided. I congratulate and thank you for the service,” he remarked.

Guntur Melati Terminal has received several awards, one of which is the best public service delivery unit friendly to vulnerable groups from the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (Kemenpan RB).

Guntur Melati Terminal was rehabilitated in 2020 with a budget of Rp20 billion (US$1.2 million). The terminal, with a land area of 12,360 square meters (m2), serves an average of 216,327 passengers every month, with a monthly bus movement of 18,635.

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To draw people's interest in using mass transportation, the Guntur Melati Terminal has taken several innovative steps, such as holding live music on certain days, carrying out self-defense activities for children, holding a Garut culinary bazaar, and educating children regarding public transportation and traffic safety.

The terminal also provides several facilities, comprising special parking areas, guiding blocks, wheelchairs, canes, priority waiting chairs, ramps, special counters, aids for the deaf and blind, children's play areas, climbing rails, special toilets, and lactation rooms, to provide service for vulnerable groups.

"Garut now has a clean and neat terminal. I advise that what has been achieved can be maintained properly," the minister stated.

During his visit, the minister praised the Garut Train Station that officially resumed operations on March 24, 2022, after earlier being reactivated starting in 2019.

"In my opinion, the service at Garut Station is also good," the minister remarked.

Currently, two trains stopping at Garut Station are the Cikuray Train bound for Garut-Pasar Senen (Jakarta) and the Economy Garut Commuter Line.

Most recently, PT KAI opened a new route, namely the Gambir Station-Garut Station (PP) route using the Papandayan train. In the week since its initial operation on January 24, 2024, the train has carried 4,063 passengers.

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Translator: Benardy Ferdiansyah, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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