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Soekarno-Hatta airport sets special lanes for Indonesia-Singapore travelers

The travel arrangement, called the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL), will come into effect on Oct. 26.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, October 19, 2020

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Soekarno-Hatta airport sets special lanes for Indonesia-Singapore travelers Passengers line up for rapid test services at Terminal 3 of the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on July 29. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)

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oekarno-Hatta International Airport is providing special lanes for passengers traveling between Indonesia and Singapore as the two countries have agreed to establish a travel corridor to facilitate urgent diplomatic missions and essential business trips.

The travel arrangement, called the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL), will come into effect on Oct. 26.

“We have provided several checkpoints for passengers traveling the Indonesia-Singapore route within the RGL scheme,” state-owned airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II director Muhammad Awaluddin said in a statement on Sunday as quoted by tribunnews.com

He added that the arrangement would adhere to strict COVID-19 health protocols. 

Travelers using the special lanes will have to go through thermal scanners at terminals prior to stopping at a check-in counter, where they are required to show a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test result that is valid for 72 hours.

They must then verify their health through the electronic health alert card (e-HAC) application before they are allowed to board the plane.

Meanwhile, for arriving travelers, Awaluddin said that as soon as they reached the arrival terminal, they would have to pass check-in clearance through e-HAC, which they filled out upon departure. 

Read also: Bintan urges central government to reopen borders for Singaporean tourists

They must then pass the immigration and customs counters before reaching the PCR testing area. If they test negative, they are allowed to continue their trip to Indonesia. However, if the PCR test shows a positive result, the traveler would have to undergo quarantine.

Previously, Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi said the travel corridor was limited to pressing diplomatic and business trips and did not cover tourism. 

According to the ministry, Indonesian citizens seeking to enter Singapore via the corridor will be required to have official sponsors from Singaporean state agencies and enterprises, in addition to a safe travel pass. 

Likewise, Singaporean nationals traveling to Indonesia will be required to have official sponsors from Indonesian state departments and business entities, in addition to a visa.

The agreement has established two routes for the travel corridor, one between Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Changi International Airport and the other between the Batam Ferry Terminal and the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. 

The two countries have agreed to certain procedures to ensure adherence to health protocols, Retno said. For instance, travelers are required to take two PCR tests – one within 72 hours before departure and one upon arriving at the airport or ferry terminal. 

“The predeparture test results are to be released by mutually recognized healthcare institutions,” Retno added. 

The government previously established travel corridors with the United Arab Emirates and South Korea to grant leeway to state departments and businesses from both countries, allowing them to reconnect and resume projects that were halted as a result of the pandemic while still complying with health rules. (nkn)

 

 

Editor’s note: This article is part of a public campaign by the COVID-19 task force to raise people’s awareness about the pandemic.

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