Regulator Limits Minimum Vessel Weight of 5,000 GT

Regulator Limits Minimum Vessel Weight of 5,000 GT

JAKARTA – Transportation Ministry obligates all vessels operated in Merak-Bakauheni ferriage route must have minimum weight of 5,000 gross tonnages (GT) to optimize berth’s installed capacity.

Transportation Ministry’s Public Communication Central Head, J.A. Barata, said the regulation is regulated in Transportation Minister’s Regulation (Permenhub) No. 88/2014 about size regulation for the vessels serving Merak-Bakauheni ferriage route signed in December 24^th 2014.

According to him, the regulation was made since berth’s installed capacity in Merak-Bakauheni is not optimal. Moreover, the regulation can persuade ferriage vessel operator to add or replace their vessels with those having bigger capacity.

“It is conducted to maintain the balance between service users or demand and transportation service providers or supply,” he said on Thursday (1/8).

Article 2 of the regulation clearly states the regulation requiring ferriage vessels at the route to have minimum weight of 5,000 GT.

Ferriage transportation firms having permit in Merak-Bakauheni and vessels with less than 5,000-GT, he explained, are given tenor to adjust vessel capacity for four years after the regulation was ratified.

It means the tenor given to meet the obligation mandated by the Permenhub is until December 24^th 2014.

Referring to the regulation, the firms unable to meet revitalization demand and intending to operate the vessels in other routes will obtain operational permit priority on easy routes.

“The requirement is by applying for demand to Transportation Ministry,” Barata said.

After the regulation is ratified, he asserted, ferriage employers in Merak-Bakauheni route must conduct vessel capacity shift.

“Do not wait for new deadline to replace vessel capacity,” he explained.

Supporting

Responding the implementation of the regulation, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry CEO, Danang Baskoro, said principally, his office agrees with the regulation.

“So far, the vessels on the route are like public buses. It better to lower its number but to increase its capacity,” he said.

If the number of vessel drops, he added, ferriage vessels do not need to queue to be berthed at berth.

Moreover, he said, PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry as a ferriage port operator does not need to conduct massive berth development.

However, Danang said Transportation Ministry must also oblige that capacity addition is also followed by vessel number drop so the ratio of vessel, passenger, and berth can be balanced. “If there are 40 vessels and all of which are replaced with 5,000-GT vessels, the route will remain crowded,” he said.

Along 2014, at least there are 2 million passengers crossing the route. The number is not included the passengers driving their personal vehicles either two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicles.

Meanwhile, Indonesian Ship Broker Association (ISBA) Chairman, Reinhard LB Tobing, projected roll on-roll off (ro-ro) passenger vessel needs will increase due to sea highway implementation.

According to him, ro-ro vessel need is necessary assuming sea highway project initiated by President Joko Widodo begins to run.

However, he has not seen sea highway pattern yet even though the need of the kind of vessel will remain high. (Bisnis Indonesia)