Akhmad Ridwan Tento, IMLOW General Secretary
State port operator PT Pelindo II/IPC is eyeing business potencies from the effectiveness of Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) at the Sunda Strait. IPC said, this TSS will potentially raise vessel traffic along the Sunda Street, triggering Tanjung Priok to be an international hub port.
As reported earlier, on July 1, 2020, the Ministry of Transportation made TSS for Sunda and Lombok Straits be effective.
IPC expects that the TSS will trigger Sunda Strait to be an alternative for oceangoing shipping route, thus opening chance for Tanjung Priok to be an international hub port.
Indonesia Maritime, Logistics, and Transportation Watch (IMLOW) appreciates this IPC’s expectation and fast response, but gives notes on how to make this can be realized.
“For the time being, some mother vessels carrying import and export to and from Tanjung have to pass the Malacca Strait since they have to find some additional cargoes from other ports around strait. Priok still lacked of available cargoes for a direct service,” IMLOW General Secretary Akhmad Ridwan Tento said in responding the IPC’s expectation and response.
Ridwan notes some prerequisites to make Priok as a hub. “Increase cargo availability in Tanjung Priok. If cargoes in a mother vessel are mostly originated from Tanjung Priok, the vessel can do direct service from this port and will pass through Sunda Strait,” said Ridwan.
However, he absolutely supports any expectation, vision, and real steps of any parties, including IPC, to make Tanjung Priok as an international hub port as this will potentially feed more cargoes to mother vessels and to make delivery process less complicated.
“The transit time will be faster, operational will be more efficient, while the delivery frequency will be higher,” said Ridwan.
Ridwan agrees that Priok facilities and infrastructure have meet standards for an international hub port, but noted that it should be backed up by potential hinterlands and industries that can feed more cargoes to vessels.
In addition, the port should have well connected with other leading ports worldwide.
“At this time Sunda Strait is quietly busy, many vessels passing through it. This TSS is meant to guarantee the traffic along the strait will be more secured, smoother, and well managed. This TSS will support Priok to be more potential for an international hub port,” said Ridwan.
In a recent statement, IPC President Director Arif Suhartono said that the TSS will trigger shipping traffic at both straits of Sunda and Lombok. Arif is optimistic the TSS will create higher economy potencies.
IPC, he said, is ready and eyeing to optimize the potencies, from Sunda Strait in particular. “Furthermore, this is an alternative route of trade to and from West Asia and Europe,” Arif said, adding that in recently, most shipping passed through the Malacca Strait.
According to Arif, adoption of the TSS will improve the shipping safety along the Sunda Strait, thus attracting more vessels to pass through.
“The adoption of TSS will support the traffic along the strait will be well-managed, cutting trip time be shorter. This will automatically benefit shipping lines,” he said.
In the future, according to Arif, Sunda Strait will become an alternative route for cargoes vessels from Tanjung Priok to Europe and West Asia. Moreover, the Malacca Strait seems to be overloaded.
Arif said, Priok is totally ready to be an international hub port. In the last three years, some terminals at the port have been routinely serving containerships over 10,000 TEUs.
“There are some direct calls from Priok to some destinations in America, Europe, Australia, China, and some countries in East Asia,” Arif explained.