Railway goes all out for Idul Fitri exodus

Railway goes all out for Idul Fitri exodus

JAKARTA (JP): Perumka, the state railway company, yesterday
announced that it will extend itself as far as possible to
accommodate the surge in travelers expected during the coming
Idul Fitri holiday.

Perumka President Soemino Eko Saputro told the House of
Representatives that his company was adding 98,000 seats to its
services between Feb. 18 and March 15.

Twenty four additional trains will be operated, bringing the
total number of train services during the period to 880, or 20
percent more than normal, Soemino said.

In addition, the company will add the maximum number of extra
coaches to each service, he said during a hearing with the
House's Commission V, which deals with transportation.

But don't expect to travel in comfort because the coaches are
likely to be crammed with passengers.

In economy class, seating will be reorganized to make the most
of the space available. This way, the seating capacity of each
coach can be increased by as much as 50 percent over the normal
level, he said.

Business class will not be affected, Soemino said. Those
traveling executive class in the Parahiyangan, Bima, Mutiara
Utara and Mutiara II services will still enjoy the usual
comforts.

The exodus from big cities to the villages normally starts
about 10 days before Idul Fitri, which falls on March 3, and
reaches its peak three days before it. The rush back to the
cities begins two or three days after the holiday.

Officials in Jakarta estimate that as many as 3.1 million
residents of Greater Jakarta will be leave town. Most will travel
by buses which are provided largely by private operators.

PPD, the bus company owned by the Jakarta City Government,
will deploy 250 extra buses during the holiday season, its
president, Brig. Gen. Soedarko, told the same parliamentary
hearing yesterday.

Perumka provides train services in Java.

Airlines are already reporting heavy bookings during the
holiday season, not only for domestic services but also for their
overseas flights.

Soemino said an average of 129,000 people per day will travel
by train between Feb. 18 and March 15. During the peak days of
the holiday season, the number could even reach 191,000 people.

He estimated that Perumka will have carried about 2.3 million
passengers by the end of the special Idul Fitri operation. This
estimate is 7.5 percent higher the number of passengers carried
during the same period last year.

During the one month period, Perumka will not be accepting
advance bookings. Anyone wishing to take the train must queue to
buy their tickets on the day of their travel.

Perumka has also canceled all leave of absence of its
employees to maximize its services to the public, Soemino said.

Perumka's cargo services will not be disrupted by the special
Idul Fitri operation, he said.

Perumka currently carries about 500 tons of cargo each day.

Meanwhile in Central Java and Yogyakarta, which will bear the
brunt of much of the huge movement of people, the authorities
will deploy some 14,000 personnel to patrol roads and fight crime
during the holiday period.

Central Java Police Chief Maj. Gen. Harimas A.S. said his
force will launch a special operation codenamed Ketupat after the
popular ricecake served during Idul Fitri.

The operation will focus on patrolling traffic along the north
coast of Java, safeguarding public spots such as bus terminals,
marketplaces, amusement centers and other public centers.
(har/pwn)