JAKARTA – PT Pelayaran Indonesia (Pelni) prepares all of its vessels to serve home-bound travelers from December 15th 2014 to January 15th 2015. The firm will also anticipate some lanes predicted to have significant passenger hike.
“During Christmas and New Year, like the previous years, we have conducted re-routing and re-schedule for vessels in certain lanes, provided Christmas transportation post, and conducted monitoring for vessel and chapter preparation to serve the travelers. The vessel we re-route is KM Kelud regularly serving Jakarta-Tanjung Balai Karimun-Batam-Medan round trip,” explained Pelni Corporate Secretary, Yahya Kuncoro, in his written statement in Jakarta on Monday (12/15).
He explained KM Kelud will have round trip between Batam-Belawan, Medan on December 20th, 23rd, and 28th 2014. Similar thing will also prevail on the returning season from Medan to Batam on January 4th and 6th 2015. In last year’s homebound exodus, Batam-Medan route experienced 6,499 passenger hike (58%), from 11,230 passengers in 2012 to 17,729 passengers in 2013.
The other routes anticipated due to passenger hike during Christmas period, he continued, is Kupang, Bitung, Ambon, Sorong, Manokwari, Biak, Nabire, and Jayapura. “Specifically for KM Labobar usually serving Manokwari-Sorong-Makassar route, in December 21st 2014, it will pass by Ambon to anticipate passenger hike from Sorong to Ambon,” he explained.
Yahya explained in the last years’ Christmas exodus peak, Pelini vessels could carry passengers up to four-time fold from the vessel capacity, starting this year, Pelni limits to sell tickets maximum two-fold from the capacity. “We are responsible to ensure the safety of all on-board passengers. Therefore, we must limit the number of passenger,” he said. (Investor Daily)
