(TAN): Indonesia has ordered a restraint on public transport ahead of Ramadan which sees millions of people travelling back to their home villages from cities in an effort to contain the spread of the pandemic, reports said.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar that is observed by Muslims across the world as a period of prayer and fasting, will begin on April 23 and last until May 23 this year.
As per reports, nearly 75 million Indonesians migrate to their hometowns from bigger cities at the end of Ramadan, which, according to health experts, can pose a huge challenge amidst the coronavirus outbreak, and even lead to a rise in cases.
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“The essence of this regulation is to carry out transportation control in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, while still fulfilling the needs of the community for transportation facilities,” Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Adita Irawati said in a statement on the cabinet secretariat website.
She added that the regulation is meant for operators of transportation facilities for land, rail, sea and air transportation.
Apart from prohibiting Indonesians from travelling on “mudik” or annual exodus, the ministry also imposed transportation control for all regions, and for regions that implement Large-Scale Social Restrictions (PSBB). Indonesia’s capital Jakarta and surrounding cities such as Bogor, Depok and Bekasi reportedly come under PSBB.
The directive stated public transport vehicles will be allowed to fill half their passenger seats, while their operational hours will also be limited, reports said. The order, issued on the basis of “current real condition”, also includes private vehicles besides public transport.
“This regulation applies to passenger transportation (public and private vehicles) as well as transportation of goods or logistics. It regulates how to travel including the travel preparation, during the travel, and the post-travel or the arrival,” Irawati said.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the Southeast Asian country, also the world’s fourth most populous nation, has reported 4,839 cases, including 459 deaths.
