Public services at haj terminal a disappointment

Multa Fidrus The Jakarta Post Tangerang

Relatives of arriving haj pilgrims expressed disappointment over the poor facilities and services at the newly inaugurated Haj Terminal at the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

The absence of an information counter and the unfriendly attitude of airport security officers contributed to their confusion when they picked up their relatives.

"I was informed that my mother would arrive from Saudi Arabia at the Haj Terminal but when I asked the security, they told me to go to the Terminal II (for foreign flights). It's really confusing," said Ari Santoso, a Bandung resident who was picking up his mother at the Haj Terminal on Tuesday.

He added that his mother, a West Java haj pilgrim of batch 18, would arrive on Saudi Arabian Airlines at around 3:30 p.m.

"Thanks for your explanation. It's clear now that I must wait for my mother here, not at Terminal II," he said when The Jakarta Post told him that he was waiting at the right place. He complained about the absence of information counters or staff.

The new terminal, inaugurated by Minister of Communications Agum Gumelar on Jan. 9, includes an information office and the Indonesian Haj Organizing Committee (PPHI) representatives inside the terminal building in an area restricted to visitors.

The only available information is the flight arrival schedule board outside the terminal building.

Those coming to the Haj Terminal to welcome the haj pilgrims had to wait under the scorching sun and heavy rain in an open area in front of the terminal as it did not provide a waiting area.

Others had to stand on muddy ground near the fence that separates the terminal and the public area.

Tabrani, 50, who came from Lampung to pick up his mother, complained that the Haj Terminal looked more like the Tanah Abang textile market, in view of the colorful tents set up by food vendors next to the parking area in front of the airport police station.

"It's a disgrace to have a facility of supposedly international standards that looks like this," he said.

But for Solahudin, a West Java haj pilgrim of batch 24, the service inside the terminal was fine.

"I didn't face any problems at all inside the terminal," said the father of six from Cirebon.

The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport chief Risman Nuryadin admitted that the services were poor.

"For the time being, this is the best that we can provide as it is our first time to operate a special Haj Terminal," he told the Post, adding that he has already received complaints from the public.

Risman said the airport operator would set up a large tent in front of the terminal to enable the visitors to wait.

"We didn't expect such a large number of people would come to welcome haj pilgrims, that's why they have to stand in an open area."

The operator promised to improve the public services including briefing security officers to be friendlier in providing information on the arrival schedules.

"We are discussing how to improve our services," Risman said, adding that the operator would put all the food vendors in order and prepare an information desk at the media center in front of the terminal building.