Klojen (malangkota.go.id) – Ahead of Christmas and New Year 2020, President Director of PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero), Edi Sukmoro and his staff conducted inspections to various regions in Java Island. This inspection was carried out for three days starting on Tuesday (10/12/2019) to Thursday (12/12/2019).
"This inspection activity is to re-ensure KAI's readiness ahead of the... peak season on the Christmas and New Year (Nataru) moment which will soon begin. Checks are carried out starting from the readiness of the route, station, service, to human resources," said Edi when he arrived at Malang Kota Baru Station, Wednesday night (11/12/2019).
The bespectacled man also asked all KAI employees to provide the best service to the public, especially during this Christmas and New Year moment.
Considering that the Nataru transportation coincides with the arrival of the rainy season and the frequency of train trips is increasing. "There are 351 vulnerable points throughout Java and Sumatra that need extra attention, namely 99 flood-prone points, 157 landslide-prone points, 85 subsidence points, and 10 theft points," added Edi.
"Specifically for the PT KAI Daops 8 Surabaya area, there are 17 vulnerable points that need extra attention, namely five flood-prone points, seven landslide-prone points, and five subsidence-prone points. Of the 17 points, the one that gets special attention is the point in the Porong Station area," he continued.
Edi said that his party would prepare 477 extra lane inspection officers, 908 extra crossing gate guards, 355 extra vulnerable area post officers, and 11.191 security personnel working together with the TNI-Polri.
"In addition, KAI also provides tools and materials that are placed in 192 points. This aims to ensure that in an emergency, repairs can be carried out immediately," he explained.
Furthermore, Edi said, specifically for the PT KAI Daops 8 Surabaya area, 32 extra lane inspection officers, 89 extra crossing gate guards, 7 extra vulnerable area post officers, and 136 additional security personnel from the TNI/Polri have been alerted. In addition, KAI Daops 8 Surabaya has placed tools and materials at four locations (St. Babat, St. Mojokerto, St. Bangil and St. Wlingi).
The inspection trip was divided into two trips, the northern and southern routes of Java Island. The northern route of Java inspection started from Gambir Station to Cirebon, Semarang Tawang, Surabaya Gubeng, Jember, to Ketapang, Banyuwangi. While for the southern route, the trip started from Bandung Station to Kroya, Purwokerto, Yogyakarta, Madiun, Malang, to Surabaya Gubeng.
In addition to the Commissioners and Directors of KAI, also taking part in this inspection were the Director General of Railways of the Ministry of Transportation Zulfikri and his staff, the Chairman of the National Safety Committee Soerjanto Tjahjono and his staff, officials from the Ministry of SOEs, representatives of the Traffic Corps of the Indonesian National Police, and a number of other related officials.
KAI has set the Nataru transportation period for 18 days starting from December 19, 2019 to January 5, 2020. During that period, KAI predicts that there will be an increase in train passenger volume to 5,9 million passengers or an increase of four percent compared to 2018, which was 5,6 million passengers.
Meanwhile, for the PT KAI Daops 8 Surabaya area, it is predicted that the number of passengers boarding in its area during the Christmas and New Year period will reach 778.198 people or an increase of four percent compared to 2018, which was 749.770 people.
To accommodate the surge in passengers, KAI will operate 374 Regular Trains and 30 Nataru Trains or a total of 404 Train Trips, up two percent compared to 2018 with 394 Trains. Meanwhile, for the PT KAI Daops 8 Surabaya area, it will operate 73 Regular Trains and 5 Nataru Trains, or 79 Train Trips, up seven percent compared to 2018 with 69 Trains.
"Through thorough preparation, we hope that the train transportation mode during the Nataru Transportation period can run safely, smoothly, and under control," concluded President Director Edi Sukmoro. (say/yon)
