Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi inspected the Kali Adem Port, Muara Angke, North Jakarta, on Sunday morning to ensure that the health protocols were appropriately complied with during the 2022 New Year holidays.
“On New Year, some people go on vacation to the Seribu Islands. Kali Adem is the busiest port (connecting) Jabodetabek (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi) to the Seribu Islands. So, we let them go there, but they must (comply) with the health protocols. I saw that it was going well,” Sumadi explained here.
Sumadi said, queue at passenger ticket checks at the dock was going well. Passengers were required to scan the available barcode before entering the ship with the PeduliLindungi app.
“Then, we wear a safety jacket, as safety is the priority. We have checked the number of people who are onboard is 75 percent of the capacity, and they must wear a life jacket,” he added.
Despite conducting strict supervision to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, especially the Omicron variant, the minister asked the port authority, ship managers, and security forces to serve passengers nicely.
“I am happy to see the prepared facilities such as for antigen test and vaccinations,” Sumadi said.
Furthermore, the minister said he did not rule out the possibility of ship managers seeking to reap as much profit as possible during the Christmas and New Year holidays by transporting passengers in excess of the capacity. According to him, this is very dangerous and can threaten the lives of passengers.
“That is one of the problems. Therefore, the director general has been here to guarantee that the ship’s capacity is appropriate. Secondly, whether the condition of the ship is still good for use,” he pointed out.
He added, the ship condition has to be checked regularly, such as the ramp check, so the ship can sail decently.
When reviewing Kali Adem Port, Sumadi also borrowed the guitar of one of the passengers then played it and invited all ship passengers to sing the song “Kolam Susu” by Koes Plus.
Source: Antara News