Ministry allocates Rp36 billion to offer motorcyclists free homebound rides

Jakarta, July 2 (Antara) - The Transportation Ministry has allocated Rp36 billion or about US $2.8 million in the state budget for 2015 to provide motorcyclists and pillion riders free homebound rides ahead of the Eid al-Fitr Islamic holidays. To reduce the number of homebound travelers using motorcycles, the ministry will provide trucks, trains and ships to transport motorcyclists and their co-passengers to their destinations for free, Transportation Minister Ignasius Jonan said here on Thursday. While the ministry had opened online registration from June 1 to June 30, those interested in the free rides could register offline from June 15 to July 1. More than 20,000 motorcycles were registered, of which 3,100 motorcycles will be transported by trucks, 9,000 by trains, and 10,000 by ships. The Transportation Ministry had announced its plan to offer the free travel program for homebound motorcyclists through print and electronic media a month ago, the minister pointed out. Motorcyclists are the focus of the ministry's program because the number of traffic accidents involving them has always been the highest, Jonan explained. This year, the government has estimated that at least 2 million homebound travelers will be using motorcycles. In addition, the minister hopes that the number of traffic accidents involving motorcycles drops this year. For the homeward bound, the ministry is ready to transport 6,440 passengers by bus and 2,880 motorcycles by trucks. For inbound travelers, the ministry will follow the contraflow system after Eid al-Fitr to transport 400 motorcycles by trucks and 920 passengers by bus for free. The destinations include Purwokerto, Kebumen, Wonosobo, Magelang, Solo, Wonogiri, and Tegal in Central Java and Yogyakarta. Furthermore, the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) will deploy two Landing Platform Dock warships, KRI Surabaya-591 and KRI Banda Aceh-593, to offer free rides to motorcyclists heading to Semarang and Surabaya for Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Jakarta's homebound travelers using motorcycles can travel to Semarang or Surabaya by the navy's warships for free, a spokesman for the TNI AL, First Admiral Manahan Simorangkir, said here on Friday. "Homebound motorcyclists traveling with their wives, children and luggage face greater risks of traffic accidents," he pointed out. Therefore, he urged motorcyclists to opt for the free rides being offered by the navy. The TNI AL will provide them food and souvenirs aboard the ships during their journey home, he affirmed.