Jakarta Transportation Agency Admits Only 5 Passenger Ships Serve Thousand Islands, Here's Why
The Jakarta Transportation Agency (Dishub) has admitted that only five of the 19 passenger ships owned by the Jakarta Provincial Government are currently operational to serve the Thousand Islands community. The situation is due to limited human resources, particularly captains and crew members.
Head of the Jakarta Transportation Agency, Budi Awaludin, stated that there are actually 19 ships declared fit for operation. However, only a small fraction can serve passengers daily.
“Currently operating for passenger ships, the total fit for operation is actually 19. However, only five ships can be operated for routes 1, 2, 3, and 4, plus one tourist ship. There is also one school ship, but it is not a public passenger service ship,” Budi said during a working meeting with Commission B of the Jakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) on Tuesday (28/7/2026).
According to him, the low number of operating ships is not due to the condition of the fleet, but rather the limited personnel with competence as captains or crew members.
“Why can’t we maximise all of them? Because of human resource limitations. This is what ultimately prevents us from being optimal,” he said.
Budi also revealed that his agency had just handled a ship accident that occurred the previous day. In that incident, 20 passengers were evacuated to Lancang Island before being sent home the following day.
On the other hand, Budi acknowledged that the salaries of captains within the Jakarta Transportation Agency are far below those in other sectors, making the positions less attractive.
“The current condition of captains is that their salaries are still very standard, not like other captains. This also makes them reluctant,” he continued.
Therefore, the agency is proposing an increase in other individual service provider personnel for captains and crew so that all operationally fit ships can be utilised.
“If permitted, we can add PJLP personnel so that these 19 ships can truly be maximised and meet the needs of the Thousand Islands community. Indeed, the public demand is for more government ships to operate,” he said.
Budi added that currently, the Jakarta Provincial Government’s ships are only able to serve about 9.5 percent of the passenger transport needs to the Thousand Islands. Meanwhile, the majority of passengers still depend on traditional ships.
“In terms of cost comparison, our ships are actually cheaper. However, due to human resource limitations, our service capacity is still far behind traditional ships,” he added.
Meanwhile, Commission B Chairman of the Jakarta DPRD, Nova Harivan Paloh, assessed that the main issue lies in the shortage of captains with special certifications. He urged the Jakarta Provincial Government to pay attention to this matter.
“So our concern is indeed the issue of captains? Because they have special expertise, there is certification. This is what is needed,” said Nova.