General manager of the Bakauheni branch of state-run ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry Suharto informed that Bakauheni-Merak ferry services were resumed early on Friday morning after being disrupted by bad weather the previous night.

“Last night, there was a queue of vehicles. However, after the Merak Port was re-opened, all of them were immediately transported (to Bakauheni Port),” he said on Friday.

Earlier, bad weather and strong winds at Merak Port, Banten province, had endangered crossing activities, he informed.

“(The weather) at Bakauheni Port (in Lampung province) was not as extreme as at Merak Port, still, we adjusted (our services) to the situation there (Merak Port),” he said.

After being temporarily closed, the Land Transportation Management Center (BPTD) resumed ferry services at 1:30 a.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB) on Friday after weather conditions were declared normal.

The Bakauheni branch of PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry had decided to temporarily stop crossing activities on Thursday (December 22, 2022).

Suharto said that a forecast issued by the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) at 7 p.m. WIB on Thursday had warned that the weather was not conducive for sailing.

“It resulted in high waves and strong winds at a number of crossing routes,” he added.

Hence, his party coordinated intensively with the BMKG, police, military, and port authorities before resuming ferry services to ensure a safe and smooth passage.

“(Our) management also actively and continuously conveyed information to customers,” he said.

Earlier, BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati had appealed to people on Tuesday (December 20) to stay alert for the potential for extreme weather ahead of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

She said that the simultaneous occurrence of four meteorological phenomena — Asian monsoon, Asian cold surge, Madden-Julian oscillation, as well as the development of low-pressure areas in the southern waters of Indonesia — had the potential to cause extreme weather in several regions of Indonesia.

Source: Antara News