Jakarta (20/12)- With the issuance of the Addendum to the Circular Letter of the Task Force for Handling Covid-19 of the Republic of Indonesia Number 24 of 2021 concerning Regulation of Community Activities and Mobility During the Christmas Period of 2021 and the New Year of 2022 during the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic Period. 19), the Ministry of Transportation has also issued Circular Letter Number 112 of 2021 concerning Guidelines for the Implementation of Domestic Travel by Rail Transportation During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Pandemic During the Christmas Period 2021 and 2022 New Year. Director of Railways Traffic and Transport, Danto Restyawan, emphasized that the Health Protocol and the mobility of travelers using rail transportation need to be tightened, especially during Christmas and New Year. "The current number of Covid-19 cases is quite under control, we must maintain this. Since the implementation of PPKM Leveling, there has been a trend of increasing train passenger occupancy, through tightening procedures for passenger mobility through train transportation during the Christmas and New Year periods aimed at suppressing the spread of Covid-19 transmission," he stressed.

This Circular Letter was officially signed on December 11, 2021, and is effective from December 24, 2021, until January 2, 2022.

The latest and important policy in SE 112 of 2021 is that travelers (over 17 years old) using intercity trains are required to show a complete vaccine card (first and second doses of vaccine). Intercity train passengers are also required to show a negative result of the RT-PCR test whose sample is taken within 3 x 24 hours or a negative result of the rapid antigen test whose sample is taken within a maximum period of 1 x 24 hours before departure. Passengers under the age of 12 (twelve) years are required to show a certificate of negative RT-PCR results whose samples were taken within 3 x 24 hours before departure and are excluded from the provision of showing a vaccine card. For adult passengers (above 17 years) who do not have the full dose of the vaccine due to medical reasons or have not received the full dose of vaccine, they are not allowed to travel within the country between provincial/district/city administrative boundaries. This circular letter also still requires train passengers to use the PeduliLindung application, except for passengers under the age of 12 (twelve) years.

Danto added that this circular letter regulates the passenger-carrying capacity (load factor). “For intercity trains, the maximum limit is 80% (eighty percent), Local Urban trains are a maximum of 70% (seventy percent), and the capacity of trains for routine or commuting trips within agglomeration areas or areas is a maximum of 45% (forty-five percent). Passengers on commuter trains and in agglomeration areas or areas are not required to show a certificate of negative rapid test antigen results but must use the PeduliLindung application (except passengers under the age of 12 years) and must show the first dose of vaccine card for those who do not use the PeduliLindung application (except for passengers under the age of 12).

Control of the Covid-19 pandemic is our shared responsibility, both the Government, the community, operators, and related stakeholders. The Health Protocol is absolutely mandatory, especially for train passengers, facility crews, field officers, especially now that Omicron has entered Indonesia. We must be more vigilant, not be careless, succeed in vaccination, wear masks, wash hands regularly, keep distance, stay away from crowds, reduce non-essential mobility," he appealed.

In order to prepare for the Nataru transportation, the Directorate General of Railways has also ramped up Minimum Service Standards at several stations and on a series of trains for the islands of Java and Sumatra, ramp checks facilities, and Inspection Trains. A total of 143 stations and 104 trains have been ramp-checked. To secure the train journey, disaster-prone locations have been identified, prepared Materials for Standby (AMUS), added extra officers for crossing guards and track inspectors and alerted postal officers in disaster-prone locations. In closing, the Director of Railways Traffic and Transport, Danto added that the Government hopes that during this Nataru period everything will run smoothly without any obstacles and obstacles.