"This year, the transportation ministry provides a free ship at Tanjung Priok to Central Java," General Timur said here Monday.
The government had prepared various facilities and infrastructures for the convenience of motorcyclists , he said.
The transportation ministry will provide a ship to carry motorcycles and their owners from Tanjung Priok seaport in north Jakarta to Tanjung Mas harbor in Semarang, Central Java, free of charge.
The ship has capacity to accommodate 1,500 people and 500 motorcycles. The government will accept two passengers maximally for each motorcycle. The ship will depart on Saturday (August 27).
The free-ship program is expected to help reduce the number of traffic accidents during the post-fasting month Idul Fitri exodus.
Earlier, police urged Idul Fitri home-bound travelers not to use motorcycles and, if they insisted, they should not take more than two passengers.
The Jakarta Police will take measures against any motorcyclist with more than one passenger or over-loaded with goods.
The number of this year`s Idul Fitri travelers is estimated to reach 15.5 million people, or an increase of 4.17 percent from that of last year`s 14.9 million.
The Ramadhan fasting month is expected to end on August 29 or 30, when all Muslims will celebrate post-fasting month Idul Fitri holiday.
(U.F001/HAJM/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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