No cheap travel in East Kalimantan
No cheap travel in East Kalimantan
"If you want a cheap ride, you can go on foot ... there's no
such thing as a cheap ride here," a friend says.
It may sound a bit cynical, but that is the answer one is
likely to get when making inquiries about the cheapest way to
travel in East Kalimantan.
In Java, people can rely on various modes of land
transportation to take them from one place to another at an
affordable price.
In East Kalimantan, people rely on car rental services for
fast transportation, although they come at skyrocketing prices.
Covering an area of 211,440 square kilometers, the province is
the largest in Kalimantan and the second-largest in Indonesia,
after Papua. Although its forests have been largely destroyed due
to deforestation, there are still many isolated areas in the
province due to the many rivers.
At least 162 large and small rivers wind their way across East
Kalimantan. Rivers separate one town from another and the only
means of getting from town to town is by boat. Water
transportation, which is a lot cheaper than that on land, is
therefore the main intercity travel means.
But traveling by water takes longer compared with land
transportation. For instance, a river boat from Samarinda to
Melak can take 10 hours to 12 hours, compared with six or seven
hours by car. Traveling by boat is also much cheaper. A boat ride
from Samarinda to Melak costs Rp 55,000, while a car ride costs
Rp 800,000. Despite the cost difference, land transportation
remains the popular choice.
Car rental services thrive as demand for fast transportation
continues to rise. These services are available at hotels,
airports, seaports or downtown areas.
Prices vary, from Rp 175,000 to Rp 1.5 million, depending on
the distance and road conditions. A short trip on a good road may
cost Rp 150,000 to Rp 300,000. To cover the 36-kilometer distance
on a relatively good road between Samarinda and Tenggarong, the
capital of Kutai Kartanegara regency, for example, one must pay
Rp 250,000 for a round trip.
The most-traveled, 120-kilometer, Samarinda-Balikpapan route
costs about Rp 150,000 to Rp 175,000 one-way.
The more isolated the place, the higher the journey cost.
To get from Samarinda to Melak, a small town upstream on the
Mahakam river, located around 200 kilometers from Samarinda, one
must pay at least Rp 1.5 million for a round trip.
In fact, road conditions are one factor that makes land
transportation very expensive. Most intercity roads are still
dusty, dirt roads with very little asphalt surfacing. The poor
roads not only lengthen journey times but also cause premature
damage to vehicles.
"I refuse to undertake long-distance trips because the roads
are so poor. I don't want to spend most of my income on car
repairs," Junaedi, 55, a rental car driver, told The Jakarta
Post.
Junaedi's car serves the Samarinda-Balikpapan route. He
sometimes takes passengers to Tenggarong. He usually operates
from Mesra International, a three-star hotel, offering his
services to hotel guests.
Despite such high prices, business has continued to grow.
Passengers are mostly engineers or employees of mining companies
who have to travel far into the interior to reach mining sites.
Shop owners from remote towns who need to go shopping in
Samarinda or Balikpapan also use the service.
There are ways, however, of reducing the price a little.
Familiarity with locals is a valuable advantage when one wants to
haggle with the car rental owner. Often, when accompanied by a
local resident, the price is slightly lower.
Helping the drivers to find passengers is another way. With
more passengers, the price can be divided between them. One may
be squeezed into a Kijang van with four or five other passengers
but it is still better than shank's mare. --JP