For them the government will provide trucks to carry their motorcycles and buses to carry their owners free of charge, the director general of land transportation, Suroyo Alimoeso, said here on Monday.
"We have prepared two trucks to carry motorcycles from Jakarta to Solo and Purwokerto (in Central Java) each with a capacity of 100 motorcyles," he said to newsmen on the sidelines of the seeing off of a private radio station expedition team ahead of the 2011 Islamic post-fasting holiday late this month.
He said he had also provided buses for the motorcyclists also free of charge.
One of the aims of the program was reducing traffic accidents involving motorcycles during the travel season, the head of public communications center of the ministry of transportation, Bambang S Ervan said.
"Motorcycles are not supposed for use in a long journey as technically they are designed for short journeys, and therefore it will be dangerous if they are used for a long journey," he said.
According to the police a total of 1,241 road accidents involving motorcycles were recorded last year leaving 277 deaths.
In view of that he called on automotive industries, transport insurance company Jasa Raharja and other parties concerned to participate in the effort by providing a free of charge travel service for motorcyclists.
"I heard the East Java provincial administration has even provided free-of-charge travel service to and from holiday destinations for the motorcyclists," he said.
The number of holiday travellers by motorcycles is expected to reach 2.47 millions this year up by 7.42 percent from last year. Many people have chosen motorcycles to go for a holiday with their families partly for cost reasons. Sometimes a motorcyclist carries his wife and children with him making them vulnerable to accidents.
(SYS/H-YH/B003)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
