Merak, Banten (ANTARA) - State-run ferry operator PT ASDP Indonesia Ferry (ASDP) transported 853,062 passengers from Java Island to Sumatra Island in the period from D-10 to D-1 of the 2023 Eid al-Fitr, ASDP’s corporate secretary Shelvy Arifin informed.
According to a press release received on Saturday, the number of passengers in 2023 increased by 3 percent from 829,193 during the same period in 2022 (year-on-year).
Furthermore, the number of vehicles crossing from Java Island to Sumatra Island in the period from D-10 to D-1 was recorded at 199,324, up 2 percent from 195,317 in the corresponding period of last year.
Meanwhile, the number of passengers traveling from Sumatra Island to Java Island during the period increased by 5.8 percent from 363,747 in 2022 to 386,031 in 2023.
In addition, the number of vehicles crossing from Sumatra Island to Java Island reached 73,723, or 2 percent higher than last year, when their number was pegged at 72,163.
The state-owned enterprise operated 33 ships to serve crossing activities from Merak Port, Banten province, to Bakauheni Port, Lampung province, on D-1 of Eid al-Fitr.
However, the total number of passengers traveling from Java Island to Sumatra Island on D-1 declined by 23.8 percent year-on-year.
The data was obtained based on monitoring conducted at the Merak Post from 8 a.m. Western Indonesia Standard Time (WIB) on April 21 to 8 a.m. WIB on April 22.
There were only 52,013 passengers on D-1 of the Islamic holy day in 2023 compared to 68,282 last year.
The number of vehicles also declined by 25.7 percent from 14,852 in 2022 to 11,029 in 2023.
The Bakauheni Command Post also recorded a drop in the number of passengers crossing from Sumatra Island to Java Island on D-1.
The number of passengers on D-1 reached 23,067 this year, down 21.3 percent compared to 29,328 during the same period in 2022.
Meanwhile, the number of vehicles was recorded at 3,745 in 2023, a decline of 18.3 percent from 4,587 vehicles last year.
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The Religious Affairs Ministry had announced that the 1444 Hijri Eid al-Fitr would be observed in Indonesia on April 22 this year.