REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Directorate General of Sea Transport will develop a concept of sea toll transport system integrated and connected end to end linking one region with the other in Indonesia that could reach backward, isolated, outer or frontier areas. Traffic and Sea Transport Director Capt. Wisnu Handoko said here recently that the concept would be applied in 2019.
Wisnu said in order that the concept would be successfully implemented in backward, isolated and frontier areas, a breakthrough would be needed such as with transport means innovation of mini container (MiniCont).
"MiniCont is a solution to logistic problem having much superiority, especially for archipelago countries like Indonesia," Capt. Wisnu said.
He went on to say for Surabaya, realization of the sea toll concept would begin with main ship from the port of Tanjung Perak with a carrying capacity of up to 300 TEUS of containers, leaving for a Hub Port such as Batam, Bitung/Tahuna, Kupang, Saumlaki and Biak. After arrival at the hub port, the cargo is transferred to a feeder ship (KM Kendhaga Nusantara) having the capacity of 100 Teus heading for regional feeder port.
A maximum of 20 boxes of the cargo are then taken over by to a pioneer ship (KM Sabuk Nusantara) heading for local feeder ship. A pioneer ship is small measuring 2,000 GT that it will suit the characteristics of MiniCont, which is around seven feet long.
The MiniConts are then carried by 50 GT LCT ship and 35 GT people's boats to isolated islands such as Miangas Kakorotan, Sanana, Bovendigul, and Membramo.
"With the dimension and characteristics of MiniCont, I am optimistic the sea toll program could work to reach backward, isolated and frontier areas all over Indonesia," Wisnu said.
Therefore, he said he hoped that PT. Pelindo Marine Service (PMS), the producer of MiniConts, could finish building MiniConts as they are expected to be able to cope with the logistic problem as a fast and practical solution by simplifying means of transport to cut distribution channel to reach areas all over the country.
Wisnu said that success in the sea toll program of end to end connectivity, in addition to support from sea pioneer transport and people's ships, also needs support from air pioneer transport and pioneer highway cargo transport.
"Hopefully, in 2019 implementation of sea toll transport could continue to give positive result in the form of a reduction of disparity in welfare between the western and eastern regions of the country. For that purpose, I call on all related ministries and agencies and stakeholders to support the implementation of the sea toll transport program," he said.