Sea Transports Called to Obey Weather Warnings During `Mudik`
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9 June 2019 15:15 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A special team from the Transportation Ministry openly warned maritime transportation operators to adhere to heavy weather warnings issued by port authorities during the Eid homecoming (mudik).
“We can’t fight God’s fate if a ship sinks because of bad weather. But we can prevent a ship’s departure if the weather is impossible to sail under. Either cancel or postpone a ship’s departure, that is what ship operators must obey,” said Cris Kuntadi, Transportation Ministry’s special staff on logistics, multimode, and transportation safety in a written statement on Sunday, June 9.
Cris Kuntadi said that the ministry continues to actively communicate with port authorities and the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in terms of real-time information prior to issuing sailing permits (SPB) when bad weather strikes.
Read: Jokowi Monitors "Mudik" Traffic at Senen Station
He announced that the ships that continue a trip under bad weather mill be sanctioned accordingly to existing laws. Cris revealed that weather over Ambon, Maluku waters have been less-than-friendly lately that forced local port authorities to issue early warnings that effectively postpone departures of passenger ships.
One Tidar boat was forced to postpone docking into local port due to extreme high waves. The boat finally docked 6 hours late of its schedule.
CAESAR AKBAR
