Pelni responds

This is in response to the letter Pelni, a disaster waiting to happen from John Will0iam Starr published in The Jakarta Post on Aug. 8.

After reading your opinion, kindly be advised that all Pelni passenger ships are designed to provide mass transportation from/to islands throughout the Indonesian archipelago. As a ferry service, all ships' designs are aimed to accommodate people in class I, II, III and economy. As you witnessed, our ships are not used for cruises as you had previously assumed.

As a developing country, the majority of Indonesian people do not need cruises for leisure. They prefer to transport themselves for urgent matters such as trade activities, visiting families, etc. Therefore they rushed to the vessel and hoped to be transported timely, and were willing to be placed outside the cabins or on the ship's deck. The Tanjung Priok-Ambon route is in particularly high demand. Other peak seasons are Idul Fitri (following the Muslim fasting month) and Christmas.

Based on government policy, our fleets are allowed to carry 30 percent more passengers than a ship's stated capacity. For safety reasons, we have to block some exterior doors throughout some trips. As a state-owned company, Pelni must fulfill two purposes: social service and business service. The fares are fixed by the government, not Pelni.

For emergency purposes we provide sufficient safety facilities like life jackets for passengers and all are in conformity with maritime regulations.

ABUBAKAR GOYIM, Head of Public Relations and Administration, PT Pelni, Jakarta