Priok port ready for Idul Fitri

Priok port ready for Idul Fitri

JAKARTA (JP): Tanjung Priok harbor chief Harmoni said
yesterday all is ready to handle the "explosion" in the number of
passengers leaving Jakarta through the port for the Idul Fitri
holidays.

Harmoni predicted that the number of people traveling by sea
this year would increase around 15 percent compared with last
year's Idul Fitri celebration.

Indonesian Moslems have a long-standing tradition of
celebrating Idul Fitri, which marks the end of the Ramadhan
fasting month, in their hometowns. This year the Moslem holidays
will fall on March 3 and March 4.

Harmoni said that he did not expect the increase in the number
of home-bound passengers in the days leading up to Idul Fitri to
be greater than the number of people traveling by sea through
the port during last year's school holidays.

He said last year there were 69,648 people who left the city
through the port for their hometowns a few days before Idul
Fitri. During school holidays last July there were more than
82,000 people, mostly students, who traveled by sea through the
port.

He also said the port management is now setting up a 300-
square meter tent to improve its services by providing extra
shelter from rain and sun to the passengers. (mas)