Safety remains top priority in year-end holiday transport: Minister

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Transportation Minister Dudy Purwagandhi has stressed that safety remains the top priority for the upcoming 2026 Christmas and 2027 New Year transport services, requiring fully prepared fleets, infrastructure, personnel, and comprehensive oversight.

"Safety must be the main priority in managing Christmas and New Year transportation," the minister said in a statement on Tuesday.

He affirmed that the Ministry of Transportation is continuously strengthening coordination with all relevant stakeholders to ensure smooth operations during the year-end holiday period.

The minister emphasized that year-end transport services must maintain public trust through thorough preparation, ensuring every journey is safe, secure, orderly, and offers maximum protection for all passengers.

"Christmas and New Year are meaningful times for many families. They entrust their travel safety to us, and we must honor that with thorough preparation," he said.

To that end, the ministry held a coordination meeting at its Jakarta headquarters on Monday to ensure safe, smooth, and secure travel during the upcoming holiday season.

According to the minister, readiness goes beyond vehicle availability to cover all supporting aspects of transportation that determine public safety and smooth travel.

The Ministry of Transportation has urged all operators to ensure fleets and infrastructure meet safety standards by carrying out thorough ramp checks before serving passengers during the year-end travel period.

Operators are also required to ensure drivers, crew, and all field personnel are healthy, qualified, and fully prepared to deliver safe transport services.

The minister urged operators to manage transport capacity and passenger crowding based on real-time data and field conditions to keep operations safe, orderly, and responsive to public needs.

Furthermore, weather and traffic information must serve as the basis for operational decision-making, particularly to mitigate potential extreme weather, floods, landslides, high waves, and strong winds.

Operators are also asked to ensure emergency response readiness and provide orderly, transparent, and humane services, including clear travel updates and adequate facilities for all passengers.

Purwagandhi stressed that all safety risks, including obstructed road signs, malfunctioning safety equipment, or delayed information, must be addressed immediately to avoid disruptions in public transport services.

The Ministry of Transportation called on all operators and stakeholders to boost synergy to ensure the Christmas and New Year transport period runs safely and securely while delivering high-quality services to the public.

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Translator: Muhammad Harianto, Raka Adji
Editor: Primayanti
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