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Just like last year, the Government has once again issued the prohibition on the practice of going back to hometown (mudik) to suppress the spread of Covid-19, applicable to all Indonesian citizens. Prohibition on going back to hometown was formally announced by the Ministry of Transportation and the Police through the Circular Letter of the Head of Covid-19 Handling Task Force No. 13 of 2021 on the Prohibition on the Practice of Going Back to Hometown during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr 1442 Hijri. The restriction is effective from 6 to 17 May 2021.
In addition, the government also enforces an additional regulation in the form of tightening of travel. The regulation is applicable from 22 April-5 May and 18-24 May 2021. This prohibition applies to land, sea, and air transportation modes.
During the prohibition, the Indonesian National Police and Army will carry out operations to screen for travel permits and negative test results. These operations will be carried out in strategic places.
Strategic places refer to arrival gates or control posts in rest areas, big city borders, checkpoints, and blockade points of agglomeration area, which is an area consisting of several interconnected city centers or regencies.
Additional Regulation
The Covid-19 Task Force has issued an additional regulation or addendum to Circular Letter no. 13 of 2021. The addendum contains regulation regarding the tightening of the requirements for domestic travelers (PPDN), which will be applicable for two weeks before and a week after the prohibition on the practice of going back to home, namely 22 April-5 May 2021 and 18-24 May 2021.
The details of the regulation are as follows:
1. Domestic travelers using air transportation modes are required to show negative RT-PCR/Rapid Antigen test results. The test must be conducted at a maximum of 1x24 hours before departure.
The GeNose C19 test is carried out at the airports shortly before departure.
2. Domestic travelers using sea transportation modes are required to show negative RT-PCR/Rapid Antigen test results. The test must be conducted at a maximum of 1x24 hours before departure The GeNose C19 test is carried out at the ports shortly before departure.
3. For routine trips in limited areas, travelers are not required to show a Covid-19 test result. This applies to sea travel carried out within the areas of one sub-district/regency/province or land travel by public/private transportation conducted within one agglomeration area.
It should be noted that random testing can be carried out by the Covid-19 Handling Task Force if needed.
4. Domestic travelers using intercity trains are required to show negative RT-PCR/Rapid Antigen test results. The test must be conducted at a maximum of 1x24 hours before departure The GeNose C19 test is carried out at the stations shortly before departure.
5. For domestic travelers using land public transportation, a random rapid antigen/GeNose C19 test will be carried out by officers if necessary.
6. Domestic travelers using private land transportation modes are encouraged to get tested with RT-PCR/Rapid Antigen Test at a maximum of 1x24 hours before departure. The GeNose C19 test is carried out at rest areas as a condition for continuing the journey. On the other hand, a random test will be conducted by the Task Force if necessary.
7. Domestic travelers using air and sea transportation modes are required to fill out an e-HAC (electronic health alert card).
8. Domestic travelers using all modes of land transportation, both public and private, are only encouraged to fill out the e-HAC instead of required to do so. All travelers mentioned above are required to get tested for Covid-19 using RT-PCR/rapid antigen test/GeNose C19. Children under the age of 5 are not required to get tested.
Exceptions to the prohibition
There are a number of exceptions in regard to the prohibition. Travels related to logistics distribution services, business trips, sick/bereavement visits, services for pregnant women with a maximum of 1 companion, and services for women in labor with a maximum of 2 companions are permitted by the government.
However, there are prerequisites for these exceptions, namely:
- The travelers must have a permit from the head of the institutions they work for. State Civil Apparatus (ASN), employees of State-owned Enterprises (BUMN)/Regional-owned Enterprises (BUMD), members of the Indonesian National Army/Police must obtain a permit from echelon II officials that has been signed directly or electronically.
- Informal sector workers or people with urgent needs must request a travel permit from the village/urban village officials according to their respective domicile.
The permit is valid for one individual and one round trip. It is mandatory for people aged 17 years and older. People are not permitted to go back to their hometown for reasons other than the ones mentioned above. A travel permit will not be issued if the people who apply for it do not meet the requirements.
To support this government regulation, SERA, which has a transportation services business, namely TRAC, has strict protocols in place for people who want to use its services. TRAC applies SMART protocol in all of its operational activities.
The SMART protocol covers three points, namely Sanitize, Wear a Mask, and Ready to Go. TRAC ensures that operational vehicles are disinfected before and after use (Sanitize). TRAC’s drivers and passengers are also obligated to wear masks (Wear a Mask). Finally, once the previous points have been adhered to, TRAC will be ready to serve its customers (Ready to Go).
TRAC puts forward health protocol in every process of its car rental service to ensure the health and safety of its consumers. TRAC aims to maintain its customers’ mobility and prioritize safety by implementing various procedures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Here are the measures taken by TRAC in regard to its car rental service:
Cars are always washed and cleaned with disinfectant before and after use
TRAC prioritizes cleanliness in all of its operational and organizational processes. In doing so, it refers to the Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS).
Physical distancing is always implemented in accordance with the applicable regulations.