Maros (17/04) – A total of 9.475 passengers used the Makassar-Parepare train service during the 1445 H Idulfitri holiday season. This was reported by the Secretary of the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA), Jujun E. Wahjuningrum, during a visit to the Lebaran Transportation Post at Mandai Station on Wednesday, 17 April 2024.

Jujun explained that the passenger data is an accumulation from the Lebaran Transportation Period, which took place from 3 to 17 April 2024 and will end on 18 April 2024. "So far, the highest number of passengers we have served in a single day was 1.050 at the peak of the outbound trip on 12 April 2024," Jujun said.

For the return trip, Jujun mentioned that DJKA had prepared for an increase in passengers on 17 April. Based on last year's data and the current outbound traffic, it was predicted that the peak of the return trip could reach 1.047 passengers.

"To anticipate this, we have advised the station staff to manage the crowds and provide the best and most human service," Jujun added.

For the 2024 Lebaran service, the average daily passenger load factor for the Makassar-Parepare train was 65.08 per cent. The most popular station for passengers on the outbound journey was Mandai Station, while Garongkong Station was the favourite for passengers on the return journey.

During his visit to Sulawesi Selatan, Jujun also visited Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport, Parepare Port, Garongkong Port and Soekarno-Hatta Port in Makassar. This visit was a follow-up to the Transport Minister's directive to ensure smooth transport services to support Lebaran transport this year.

"We had the opportunity to talk to passengers, and fortunately the feedback we received was generally positive, although there are some points that we need to address immediately," Jujun concluded. (DA/HJA)