Jakarta (19/07) – Coinciding with the national holiday Eid al-Adha which falls on July 20th, 2021, the Ministry of Transportation issued a Circular Letter of the Minister of Transportation Number 54 of 2021 on the Second Amendment to the Circular Letter of the Minister of Transportation Number 42 of 2021 on Instructions for the Implementation of Domestic Travel with Railway Transportation During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

The Circular Letter, which came into effect on July 19, 2021, was issued to follow up on the Circular Letter of the Task Force handling Covid-19 Number 15 of 2021 concerning Restrictions on Community Activities During Eid al-Adha 1442 Hijri during the Corona Virus Disease Pandemic 2019 (COVID-19) which took effect on July 18 - 25, 2021.

Director-General of Railways Zulfikri said that this policy was carried out to reduce the rate of passengers on train transportation, especially during the Eid al-Adha holiday period in 2021. "Of course this is one of the efforts to suppress the increase in COVID-19 cases in Java and Sumatra," Zulfikri said.

The Circular Letter explained that travel via railways during the Eid al-Adha holiday or July 18 -25, 2021, is limited only to travelers who work in the essential and critical sectors, as well as travelers with urgent matters such as patients with severe illness, pregnant women accompanied by one family, the child labor necessity accompanied by two people, and the delivery of non-COVID-19 corpses with a maximum of 5 people, equipped with the required documents mentioned in the Circular Letter.

During the restriction period, train passengers in both Java and Sumatra who are included in those categories must include negative RT-PCR test results whose samples are taken within 2x24 hours, or antigen-negative results whose samples are taken within 1x24 hours. As for railway travel in Java Island, the requirements are added with showing a vaccination card.

Zulfikri added, especially for urgent travelers, it is mandatory to show a travel certificate from the hospital, a certificate from the local area device, a death certificate, or another certificate. "Meanwhile, for essential and critical passenger requirements, passengers must also bring a Worker Registration Certificate (STRP) or duty letter from their workplaces," he added.

Zulfikri also explained that the vaccine card requirement is excluded for passengers with criteria for travelers with special medical circumstances who are not or have not been vaccinated because of medical records based on the information of specialist doctors, patients with severe illness, pregnant women accompanied by 1 (one) family member, the child labor necessity with a maximum companion of 2 (two) people, and the delivery of non-COVID-19 bodies with a maximum number of 5 (five) people.

This change in requirements applies to intercity railway transportation. Meanwhile, urban, local, and agglomeration railways travel requirements are still following the Circular Letter of the Minister of Transportation No. 50 of 2021.

"Therefore, for prospective passengers who have already purchased tickets and will apply for cancellations or refunds, can contact the train operator by following the applicable laws and regulations," concluded Zulfikri. (SPN/WID/HNF)