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Govt procures water buses to support Lake Toba tourism, 2020 PON in Papua
The four water buses are to accommodate visitors to Lake Toba in North Sumatra and Sentani Lake in Papua. The latter is where the 2020 National Games (PON) are set to take place.
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A boat travels on Lake Toba in North Sumatra. (ANN/The Star/Allison Lai)
T
he Transportation Ministry has procured four water buses to carry visitors on Lake Toba in North Sumatra and Sentani Lake in Papua. The latter is where the 2020 National Games (PON) are set to take place.
Each lake will soon see the operation of two water buses, which are currently in development by shipbuilding companies PT Trisetia Cipta Persada in Surabaya and PT Tri Ratna Diesel Paciran in Lamongan, the ministry’s land transportation director general Budi Setiyadi said.
“Lake Sentani’s water buses can transport 100 people each, while Lake Toba’s water buses can transport 150 people each,” Budi said during the keel-laying ceremony at the Tri Ratna shipyard, which marked the start of the shipbuilding process.
PON in Papua will see athletes compete in 37 sports in Jayapura city, as well as in the regencies of Jayapura, Mimika and Merauke, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 2.
Lake Toba is one of the central government’s super-priority tourism destinations, which also include Borobudur in Central Java, Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara, Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara and Likupang in North Sulawesi.
According to the ministry’s online procurement system, Tri Ratna Diesel will build the water buses for Lake Sentani, which will cost about Rp 19 billion (US$1.3 million), while Trisetia Cipta Persada will build the waterbuses for Lake Toba for about Rp 10.4 billion.
The Sentani water bus procurement contract will end on Sept. 17, while the Lake Toba water bus contract will finish on Dec.18, according to the ministry’s river, lake, and crossing director Chandra Irawan.
“These waterbuses are prototype boats and are the first boats procured by the ministry’s Land Transportation Directorate General. All water buses will be built and equipped according to the boat classification regulation,” Chandra said.
“We hope that the two water buses can support PON 2020, which will be held in Jayapura, and can be used by local residents as a safe transportation system or to boost local tourism,” Budi said. (mpr)
