On a misty Ramadan morning, hundreds of migrant workers lined up\nneatly at Makassar terminal\u2019s courtyard. Some carried worn cloth bags\nfull of stories from their home villages; others cradled small children\nsleeping on their mothers\u2019 shoulders.<\/p>\n
They were not merely passengers; they were a portrait of Indonesia\nreturning home, carrying hopes, prayers, and free tickets from PT\nPelindo Jasa Maritim (SPJM). On Monday evening, 16 March 2026, 12 bus\nfleets released 360 people bound for Palopo, Soroako, and Toraja. It was\nnot an ordinary journey. It was a homecoming wrapped in corporate social\nresponsibility.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis programme is not merely transporting people,\u201d said SPJM\nCorporate Secretary Tubagus Patrick, his voice soft yet firm amid the\nevening bustle. \u201cWe want them to reach their home villages safely,\ncomfortably, and without additional burdens on the road.\u201d SPJM\nDirector-General Arief Prabowo personally saw off the departures.<\/p>\n
In his eyes was a concern rarely displayed in corporate meeting\nrooms: attention to detail, inspection of fleet suitability, food and\nbeverages during the journey, and health provisions. All were arranged\nso that the risk of accidents that often haunts long-distance motorcycle\nriders could be reduced to a minimum.<\/p>\n
Far to the north on Java island, at Pasar Senen Station, 480 migrant\nworkers from KAI\u2019s free homecoming programme were also preparing to\nboard KA Tawang Jaya Premium towards Semarang Tawang. KAI Public\nRelations Manager Daop 1 Jakarta Franoto Wibowo explained that this\nprogramme had become a routine agenda since 2023.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to encourage people to switch from motorcycles to mass\ntransportation that is safer,\u201d he said. Behind the statistics\u201454,216\npassengers departing and 22,574 arriving that day\u2014were human stories:\nfamilies wanting to meet their parents, migrant children bringing gifts,\nand the simple hope that this year\u2019s Eid would not be marked by road\naccidents.<\/p>\n
In Medan, North Sumatra, Mayor Rico Tri Putra Waas saw off 2,100\nmigrant workers on the first day, followed by 1,900 more the following\nday. A total of 4,000 quotas were provided for routes within the\nprovince: Pakpak Bharat, Sidikalang, Tarutung, Sibolga, and Natal. \u201cThe\ntradition of returning home is an important moment,\u201d said Rico. He\nemphasised strict inspection of bus crews and fleets to ensure the long\njourney was safe.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, the municipal government provided 12 fleets, seven for\nthe outbound journey and five for the return, for residents from the\nWong Semarang Association in Jakarta. Danang Kurniawan, Head of Semarang\nCity Transportation Office, described this as part of a provincial\nprogramme supported by municipal budgets. \u201cWe pick up and send off our\nown residents,\u201d he said with a note of pride.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hundreds-of-migrant-workers-return-home-within-safety-and-care-1773723193", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }