The Transportation Ministry’s director general of land transportation, Budi Setyadi, said there was a significant decrease in the number of vehicles and people crossing from Merak in Banten to Bakauheni in Lampung after the tsunami struck on Dec. 22. The route is usually popular during the holiday season, when many from Jakarta return to their hometowns to spend time with their families.

“The number dropped after Dec. 22. There are many people who are still reluctant to cross from Merak. Many people are also still asking about the safety of sea travel and whether there is a possibility of high waves,” said Budi on Wednesday.

State-owned seaport operator ASDP Indonesia Ferry stated after the tsunami that operations for the Merak-Bakauheni route were running as normal.

According to company data, the number of passengers that crossed from Merak on Dec. 21 and 22 were recorded at 51,834 and 66,897 people respectively. The number in those days increased significantly by 45 and 36 percent respectively from the same period last year.

However, in the following days after the tsunami, the number of people who crossed from Merak to Bakauheni dropped to 36,685 and 31,241 on Dec. 23 and 24 respectively. The number of passengers who crossed from Merak Port decreased by 39.6 and 23.3 percent on Dec. 23 and 24 year-on-year.

Although the tsunami did not entirely affect operations at the Merak seaport, Budi said travelers were indeed still wary of possible high waves in the Sunda Strait.

Separately, the Tourism Ministry’s Tourism Crisis Center (TCC) urged tourists and residents to adhere to government warnings before traveling for the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

The TCC cited the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency’s (BMKG) warning to residents and holidaymakers of possible high waves in coastal areas. The agency had predicted that high waves of up to 1.25 to 2.5 meters may occur in the western coast of Lampung, southern part of the Sunda Strait, northern coast of Sabang, coast of Sabang in Banda Aceh, coast of West Aceh, western coast of Simeulue Island down to Mentawai Island and coast of Enggano in Bengkulu.

“The instruction from the BMKG is for residents and holidaymakers to stay at least 1 kilometer from the shoreline. Thus, it is better not to go on holiday to coastal areas or beaches, and [everyone] is advised to always keep themselves updated on weather information from the BMKG,” said Guntur Sakti, head of the TCC, in an official statement on Wednesday.

The Transportation Ministry recorded that traffic had largely been smooth, with no notable accidents thus far throughout the Christmas holiday. Budi said the number of road accidents dropped to 284 this year, down from 634 accidents last year.

The Christmas and New Year holiday will last until Jan. 1 and the government will continue to monitor traffic throughout this period.

For the remaining period, Budi said, the government would focus on monitoring bus activity and route safety for tourist destinations.

Although the government would conduct bus ramp checks, Budi urged all operators to adhere to safety regulations. He also encouraged passengers to be more proactive in checking the worthiness of buses or other forms of public transportation.

“In several dangerous points, such as Tanjakan Emen in Subang [in West Java], we have also deployed our staffers. We are also intensifying supervision in other points, such as in dangerous and extreme routes like Tangkuban Perahu [in West Java], the route from Malang heading to Batu [in East Java], Tawangmangu [in Central Java], and the route from Cemoro Sewu to Sarangan [in East Java],” said Budi.

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