The Behaviour of Ship's Passengers

At Waingapu, Bima, Benoa and

Tanjung Perak Ports

a travel note during my journey to Yogyakarta

Indonesia is known as an archipelago, so ships become very important as means of transportation to support the mobility of people and economic growth in the community. This condition enforces government to improve the quality of many ports in many islands in Indonesia. The existence of a port is not only the responsibility of the port manager, but all the stakeholders. My first sailing experience by ship, is using ‘Awu’ motor ship.  One interesting thing that I observed while in port, is the passengers’ behaviour when boarding and disembark.

At the port Waingapu, East Sumba, the discipline is still very low, because when the ship at the jetty, the boarding passangers and the disembark passangers pass through the same bridge, so they collided. It is caused by loose regulation and weak security guards.

The same situation is also found in port of Bima, West Nusa Tenggara even it can be said worse because not only passengers who enter and disembark on the bridge, but also traders who tried enter the ship to sell something. They see opportunity that the vessel's passengers as their market.

A different situation appeared in port of Benoa, Bali, with its order and the tight security officers. Passengers must wait until all passengers in the ship disembarked, then they were allowed to board. Meanwhile, in the port of Tanjung Perak, Surabaya, passenger disembarked orderly because its tight guard, although its condition is not the same with the condition in Benoa, Bali.

Finally, I wish all passengers be aware of the importance of order and regularity to ease everything. (FEN)