"One of the anticipatory measures (to face the return flow) is increasing the number of ships operated, from 131 to 146 trips on the Sumatra-Java route," he said at Bakauheni Port in Lampung Province.
According to the Transportation Ministry's statement that ANTARA received here Sunday, the authorities had also set up so called "war rooms" which provide digital information and data on activities at the ports.
Sumadi affirmed that the government had readied anticipatory measures to face a significant increase in passengers and vehicles crossing from Sumatra to Java during the peak of the return flow period.
He noted that ferry vessels from Panjang Port in Lampung to Ciwandan Port in Banten Province have been operated to prevent hindrances in crossings from the Bakauheni to Merak Ports.
The minister appealed to the outbound travelers to maximize the use of the Panjang Port as an alternative route. Three ships are operated on the Panjang-Ciwandan route from April 12 to 18, 2024.
Various anticipatory measures that have been prepared can hopefully ensure smooth and safe crossings from Sumatra to Java, he said.
On the same occasion, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy stated that the government had made maximum efforts to tackle the high vehicle density. However, the weather will remain a determiner.
"Hopefully, the weather and waves are fine so that they do not disrupt the ships' crossing time," he remarked.
As per a survey conducted by the Ministry of Transportation, 193.6 million people were expected to join the homecoming exodus to celebrate Eid al-Fitr this year, which fell on April 10.
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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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