Homeward journeys easier with standby service stations

Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the Idul Fitri holiday looms on Sunday, most Indonesian Muslims are preparing or have already made their annual mudik homeward-bound journeys.

It is expected that about 17.6 million people will take part in this year's migration an 11 percent increase on last year's 15.9 million.

Most of the travellers, 13.8 million, will travel by land, of which 8.4 million will leave by car or bus. Another 3.1 million will travel by train and another 2.3 million by road or aboard inter-island ferries.

The northern Java coastal (Pantura) highway is the main road out for people leaving Jakarta to their hometowns and more than 70 percent of travellers will take this route either by public transportation or private vehicles.

Anticipating such a huge vehicle presence during the Idul Fitri holiday, most automakers have prepared temporary service posts and stations to ensure a good trip for travelers.

Japanese carmaker PT Toyota-Astra Motor will have 13 service posts and six service stations operating around the clock during the holiday in strategic places along main mudik routes.

Posts are located in Teluk Betung, Lampung; Cisarua, Gunung Mas, Cikopo, Sadang, Nagrek and Losari, West Java; Alas Roban, Buntu and Manyaran, Central Java; Caruban and Pasir Putih, East Java; and Negara in Bali.

The service stations are in Bogor and Karawang in West Java; Magelang, Semarang and Surakarta, Central Java; and in Yogyakarta.

Another 63 service stations will remain open during the holidays, although they will not provide a 24-hour service. They range from Medan in North Sumatra to Denpasar in Bali.

"We are not only providing service and spare parts during the holidays; we have also provided routine check-ups so Toyota owners can be better prepared for their journeys," Toyota Astra marketing director Joko Trisanyoto said.

PT Honda Prospect Motor said it had prepared 24 standby stations, of which nine will be operated around the clock along the main routes on Java while the remaining 15 are located at Honda-authorized dealers in Jakarta, Bogor, Bandung, Cirebon, Semarang, Pekalongan, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Denpasar and Bandar Lampung.

The service will be available from Nov. 11 to Nov. 21. Honda Prospect also give 10 percent discount for spare parts in its 24- hour stations except for batteries, tires and engine lubricants.

American carmaker PT General Motors Indonesia has also prepared technicians and deployed them to six service posts in Cilegon, Banten; Cisarua, Cikampek and Nagrek, West Java; Grinsing and Gempol, East Java, in its Chevrolet Siaga campaign, which runs from Nov. 12 to Nov. 21.

Also, there will be 24-hour service stations in Medan, North Sumatra; Pekanbaru, Riau; Palembang, South Sumatra; Bandar Lampung, Lampung; Jakarta; Bandung and Cirebon in West Java; Magelang and Surakarta in Central Java; Surabaya, East Java; and Denpasar, Bali.

"Chevrolet Siaga 2004 reflects GM's commitment to providing the best service to Chevrolet owners, especially during important occasions such as the annual Lebaran journeys made by Indonesians to their home towns," sales, marketing and after-sales director said Antonio Zara.

Another American carmaker, PT Ford Motor Indonesia, has prepared technicians at its seven dealerships in Jakarta, Semarang, Surabaya, and Denpasar from Nov. 13 to Nov. 21, with technicians on standby around the clock.

Meanwhile, Korean carmaker PT KIA Mobil Indonesia has prepared 12 service posts mostly in the Pantura highway, from Nov. 10 to Nov. 21.

The service posts are in Cisarua, Cikopo, Cipanas, Losari and Nagrek, West Java; Merak, Banten; Bawen, Alas Roban and Buntu, Central Java; and Pasir Putih, Babat and Caruban, East Java.

The Puncak service post will also be open from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 for the Christmas and New Year holidays.

Have a safe journey and safe return!

Travellers using any of Telkomsel's services (Kartu Halo, Simpati and Kartu As) can also access the nearest service stations by calling these numbers:

Astra World (Peugeot, BMW, Isuzu, Toyota, Daihatsu and Nissan Diesel) -- 1000
Toyota -- 2000
Mitsubishi Motors -- 2004
Nissan -- 2323
Audi and VW Caravelle -- 2834
Honda -- 5000
Chevrolet -- 5555
Ford -- 6000
Mazda -- 6565
SsangYong -- 6666
Hyundai -- 7000
Volvo -- 7272
Renault -- 7777
Suzuki -- 8000
Daihatsu -- 8080