Elderly Migrant Worker Protests Nearly Double Ferry Ticket Prices at Ciwandan Port

Asrul, 72, protested to port staff over inflated ticket prices at Ciwandan Port in Cilegon City, Banten, which were nearly double the official fare. He stated that he received the ticket from a ticket-checking officer.

Asrul, residing in Bekasi, West Java, was travelling to Padang, West Sumatra for the annual mudik (homecoming) period. He initially went to Merak Port but was directed to Ciwandan Port because he was riding a motorcycle.

He arrived at Ciwandan on Sunday, 16 March 2026, at approximately 23:00 Western Indonesian Time. However, he did not have an online ticket, which should have been purchased in advance.

“At the ticket window, they asked me, ‘Sir, where is your mobile phone?’ ‘I don’t have one,’ I replied. He helped me,” Asrul recounted.

The officer then requested payment of Rp80,000 for the ferry ticket. However, Asrul felt suspicious upon noticing that the ticket itself bore a printed price of Rp45,000.

“He said Rp80,000. When I looked at the ticket, it said Rp45,000, and he was supposed to be a staff member,” he stated.

Asrul subsequently filed a complaint with another officer. He was then brought to meet with the ticket officer again.

Ultimately, the difference in the amount he had paid was refunded. The ticket he was holding remained valid.