Maritime Transportation Disrupted

Maritime Transportation Disrupted

JAKARTA, Kompas – Maritime transportation service in Jakarta is disrupted by un-operation of 12 vessels owned by Jakarta Transportation Department since December. Consequently, maritime transportation users must use other vehicles for a while. Besides its contract has ended, those various-size vessels also need reparation.

The vessels serving some routes such as Thousand Islands and Marunda are berthed in Kali Adem Berth, Penjaringan, North Jakarta, on Tuesday (1/20). Some passengers who want to use this transportation service must use other vehicles.

Angga Gulam Akbar (26), a Depok resident working in Lancanf Island, Thousand Islands, must go home every week to meet his family. However, since last month, he must seek other ferry vessel in Tangerang since the vessel belonging to Jakarta Transportation Department cannot be operated.

“I prefer to use Transportation Department’s vessel since the vessel goes to some islands every day. However, currently, since there are no vessels of Transportation Department, I have to pass by Tangerang to rent a vessel to Lancang Island. There are no vessels departing from Muara Angke,” said the Lancang Island Community Health Center (Puskesmas) employee.

According to him, many people have complained since the vessels of Transportation Department are not operated. Several of them must change vessels to reach the islands they wish.

Similar thing was also experienced by Rahman (20) planning to go to Sebira Island, Northern Thousand Islands District. He must seek for other vehicles since official vessels are not operated for a while.

“I have college homeworks. I want to conduct location survey. However no vessels of Transportation Department are operated. If I use other vessels, it costs more and the vessels do not come on time,” said the student of a university in Yogyakarta.

With affordable ticket price and right route, people choose to use Transportation Department’s vessels.

Jakarta Transportation Department Head for Port and maritime Transportation Service Unit, Tiodor Sianturi, said those vessels are not operated since their working contracts with vessel operator private firm ended on December 20^th.

The contract extended per year cannot be directly be extended since 2015 budget has not been ratified.

“Not to mention the vessels must enter dock for maintenance and reparation since last year, they were not docked even though the budget is available. I also do not know the reason,” Tiodor said.

However, Tiodor said, his office keeps trying to mull the solution so those vessels can serve people again.

Transportation Department has 14 vessels prepared to serve this maritime transportation. 10 vessels become fixed shipping vessels to Thousand Islands whle the other two vessels namely Kerapu 5 and 6 serve transportation service in Kali Adem, Penjaringan to Marunda Apartment, Cilincing. One vessel cannot be operated due to corruption case and the other one is out of service by accident.

Even though there are not many vessels, those vessels really help ferriage service, especially for the residents of Thousand Island. In addition, only 38 vessels managed by people or locally known as ojek vessel are operated.

Quick Response

Thousand Island Regent, Tri Djoko Margianto, said the related party must respond quickly to overcome this issue since this is about people service.

“Ojek vessels owned by people are very limited. If Transportation Department’s vessels are not operated, many people cannot use the service. Whereas, not only people’s mobility but tourist’s visit to Thousand Islands also increases,” Tri said.

According to him, long-term solution must be taken and it should not be temporary since this incident may be repeated with similar patterns.

Related to the contract with vessel operator private firm, Tiodor said he is mulling the solution to prevent contract end like this. It occurs since if budget year ends, contract also ends so shipping activity is halted.

“We will revamp it to self management. Therefore, we process it ourselves so it can still run. However, it needs long time since we have to find the people who can regulate to vessel crew. Not to mention processing permit to Pertamina for fuel,” he said. (Kompas)