TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The peak of the Eid al-Fitr mass exodus at the Batu Ampar Port located in Batam City is expected to take place today as roughly 3,000 ferry passengers are set to cross to Belawan in North Sumatra. This number is expected to increase as time passes.
Head of the Batam branch of state-owned shipping operator Pelni, Muhammad Iqba, said most of these passengers will travel aboard the KM Kelud.
“The most number of travelers is on Wednesday, coinciding with the national collective leave,” he said on April 19.
Pelni in Batam has mobilized additional ships to accommodate travelers during the Eid holiday season. The latest that carried 1,969 passengers from Batam to Belawan on April 18 was the KM Dorolonda, which is a ship that normally serves the Eastern Indonesian waters.
“This ship is operating outside of its usual route to help the mass exodus in the Western route in Batam,” said Iqbal.
YOGI EKA SAHPUTRA
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