Antara Dispatches 140 Homebound Travellers via Joint Mudik Programme Using Train Services
The National News Agency (LKBN) Antara has launched a joint mudik programme for its employees and members of the public ahead of Eid al-Fitr. The programme forms part of a collaborative effort between state-owned enterprises (BUMN) and PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) to support an orderly, safe, and efficient homecoming migration through the use of public transport.
Benny Siga Butarbutar, Chief Executive Officer of LKBN Antara, stated that the joint mudik programme represents the agency’s support for the government’s efforts to organise the national homecoming traffic in a more structured manner. “This serves two complementary purposes. First, it is part of the government’s programme to ensure that the homecoming period proceeds in a more orderly and efficient manner through the use of public transport, and is better organised,” Butarbutar said.
Beyond supporting government policy, the initiative also demonstrates BUMN’s concern for the public. Through the free mudik programme, Antara seeks to demonstrate that the spirit of collective endeavour can be translated into tangible action.
Butarbutar explained that this year’s joint mudik programme represents the third iteration of the initiative. Participation has grown steadily each year in line with mounting public enthusiasm. “This mudik programme from Antara is now the third time, and it will continue to be carried out, and the numbers may even be enlarged. From 60 participants initially, to 120, and today we are dispatching a total of 140 people,” he explained.
According to Butarbutar, large-scale use of public transport offers numerous advantages, ranging from improving travel orderliness to reducing accident risks and traffic congestion during the mudik period. “We are building a culture where travelling home together via mass public transport is far more orderly, far safer, and allows efficiency in many respects,” he noted.
Butarbutar expressed hope that the practice of using public transport during the homecoming period will continue to develop and become a new tradition in society. This way, mass transportation modes such as trains can become the primary choice over private vehicles.
“We truly must make this a tradition, one that reflects both our collective spirit and concern for our fellow Indonesian citizens,” he said.
He also hoped that homebound travellers will enjoy comfortable journeys and return to Jakarta with renewed enthusiasm to resume work and increase their productivity following the Eid holiday break. “When they return to Jakarta, they should feel far more motivated and eager to continue their work and improve their productivity,” he concluded.
The annual routine activity to mark Eid al-Fitr this year carries the theme “Safe Homecoming Reaches Destination”. In this joint mudik programme involving the Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taspen and Bank Mandiri Taspen dispatched four buses.