Homeward journeys easier with standby service stations

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