A tariff rise for people making the crossing between East Java and Bali for Lebaran has led angry residents to make an online petition.
Lulut Joni Prasojo, originally from Banyuwangi, East Java, lives and works in Bali and regularly makes the crossing between the two islands during Lebaran.
Because of a tariff policy in effect from July 13 to July 16, 2015 for the holiday period, Prasojo has spearheaded a petition to the Minister of Transport and Director of the ferry company PT ASDP, to revoke the increased price, according to Kompas.
The tariff Prasojo is protesting requires passengers to pay double the ticket price if doing the ferry crossing in evening hours, from 6 pm to 6 am.
“I’ve already lived in Bali for 15 years and always go back and forth to Banyuwangi every year. I want to cross at night or else I’ll get stuck and have to queue for hours,” the man told Kompas on Friday.
Prasojo says people generally have to make the crossing taking their own motorcycles and private cars and should not be punished for the government’s inadequate supply of public transportation.
After standing for just three days, the petition has already been signed by 200 people, Kompas reported on Friday.
Prasojo says his plan is to submit the petition to Parliament, the Ombudsman, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI), and the Indonesian Transportation Society.
Currently, the rate for crossing in the port of Gilimanuk is Rp 24,500 for motorcycles and Rp 148,000 for cars, meaning under this holiday tariff rise, at night, motorcycle crossing will cost Rp 49,000, while taking a private car is Rp 297,000.
While that may not seem like much, especially compared to flying, we can only imagine how these kinds of costs would add up for people bringing their large family from Bali to Java for mudik.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
