Operate Three LCTs, Tail of the Queue to Watudodol
KALIPURO – The enforcement of LCT ships to only transport vehicles has had an extraordinary impact on congestion on the Ketapang highway. In these three days, long queues of vehicles are unavoidable. Even, until last night (o'clock 19.00) the line of vehicles arrived at the gandrung Watudodol statue.
But to unravel congestion, ASDP Ketapang has deployed three landing craft tanks (LCT) at the LCM port. Nonetheless, the presence of the three LCTs has not been able to unravel the long traffic jam on the northern coast route.
Monitoring of Jawa Pos Radar Banyuwangi, Traffic jams are getting worse because last Sunday was a long holiday. Many private vehicles wishing to go on vacation to Bali via Ketapang are forced to stand in line for hours. The traffic jam was also triggered by the Nyepi return flow.
Many residents of Banyuwangi and surrounding areas return to Bali after the Nyepi holiday. So dense, the queue of vehicles at the port is filled with private cars and motorbikes. Besides that, Traffic jams are also triggered by the long loading and unloading of trucks on board.
The existence of ship lathing rules and counting the number of passengers in the vehicle when they are about to enter the ship also triggers the loading and unloading process of the ship to take a long time. If usually one ship can carry out the maximum loading and unloading process 45 minute, loading and unloading process can reach 1,5 hours for one ship.
Added more, Since the Nyepi day, there have only been six ships operating at the LCM Ketapang Port (km²). For LCT type ships, they choose to leave the track because there is a rule that all types of passengers, even drivers and crew members, are prohibited from boarding LCT ships.
LCT ships may only sail when transporting vehicles and goods only. However, since 09.00 (12/3), yesterday, three LCT vessels, namely LCT Pancar Indah, LCT Herlin IV and LCT Jambo VI have started to enter the track at LCM Ketapang Port.
These three ships are only allowed to transport vehicles and goods. Meanwhile, the driver and kernet are required to board the KMP ship at LCM Ketapang. “Three LCTs are already operating. But the driver and kernet must go down,” kata Supervisor Ship Traffick Control (STC) Ketapang Harbor, Poniman.
Ponman said, Previously, none of the drivers and kernet wanted to take the LCT because they thought their vehicle would be on an LCT ship, the drivers and kernet must board the KMP ship at ASDP Ketapang Port and must pay for the return ticket.
After being given the understanding that the drivers only need to take the KMP at LCM Ketapang and do not need to pay for a ticket, finally these drivers want to be regulated. “The driver still has to have a ticket if he takes the KMP, because the ticket contains insurance. Those who are required to buy tickets are ship companies,” he added.
As seen yesterday, the trucks transported by LCT Jambo VI cannot be loaded and unloaded quickly because the driver carrying the vehicle has not yet arrived at LCM Ketapang Port. About half an hour later, the driver arrived at LCM Ketapang Harbor by riding KMP Jambo.
When KMP Jambo was docked, the drivers headed to LCT Jambo VI to get their vehicles out. By using a loudspeaker, LCM Ketapang STC officers also appealed to drivers to immediately carry out the loading and unloading process because the queues at the LCM port parking lot were also very large.
The existence of regulations on the mandatory foreign exchange of ship vehicles and data collection on passengers also makes the loading and unloading process long. Ponman said, per day one ship loses one trip compared to usual. During 24 jam, if lasing rules and counting the number of passengers in the vehicle, for one ship can lose at least 150 vehicle.
"With reduced trips for just one ship, Operations at the port and on the road will also be hampered,Poniman explained. he said, with the three operating LCT vessels, it is still lacking.
Ideally at the Ketapang LCM Port there should be one 12 operating ship. While so far there is only 9 operating vessels with details 6 KMP and 3 operating LCTs. "LCT owner Arjuna and LCT Bhaita Caturtya but have already contacted us if they are also going to meet. God willing, this afternoon (yesterday) plus two more LCTs. He said he was still waiting for the lathing ropes of the vehicles on the ship," he concluded.
Saturday night (12/3), the queue of vehicles snaking into the road is still dominated by large and small trucks. Meanwhile, private cars and two-wheeled vehicles have started to be crowded since yesterday morning.
Not only from the north, the bustle of private cars and motorcycles is also busy heading to the port from the south of Ketapang Harbor. ASDP Ketapang Operations Manager, Wahyudi Susianto said, Private cars and two-wheeled vehicles last Sunday saw an increase.
Because, Last Sunday was the peak of the return of passengers who had previously returned to their hometowns during the Nyepi holiday. "Today (yesterday) the peak of the Nyepi holiday is the abundance of private cars and motorcycles," he explained.
Meanwhile, Yesterday's queue of vehicles was still visible until Watudodol. Vehicles coming from the south towards the port are still being diverted to the Ketapang ring route. People who want to go to the Wongsorejo sub-district by using private cars should postpone it first if they don't want to get stuck in traffic jams.
“From Saturday night to this Sunday (yesterday) the tail of the stable queue is at Watudodol,"explained the Tanjung Wangi Regional Police Chief, AKP Hadi Siswoyo. (radar)
