JAKARTA – Tourism experience of RS (34) and NN (29) seems to be a lesson for every tourist to always be careful traveling to popular areas.
Coming all the way from Jakarta, these tourists found out that Banyuwangi, which has been widely talked about in the mass media and social media, does not have a good and friendly transportation system.
Both received an unpleasant welcome when they arrived at Ketapang Station while traveling at the end of December 2023.
There, they were stopped by ojek drivers while waiting for the arrival of their Grab bike drivers.
“My Grab driver can’t reach me because the opang (ojek drivers) were hotheaded. So I had to walk quite far out to get to my driver,” said RS to The Editor on Momsay (26/8/2024). RS said the holiday to Banyuwangi had been planned since 2017.
NN, RS’s traveling companion, also had a bitter experience. She considered Banyuwangi to be less safe for tourists as motorbike rental was still very difficult.
“Access to public transport needs to be made easier, especially around the station. Motorbike rentals also need to be increased and guaranteed safety so that more people dare to open this business, since it is very difficult to rent a motorbike there,” she said.
A TOURISM CITY THAT LACKS PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Being one of the cities in Indonesia that gets the spotlight from the government, Banyuwangi as a city of a million tours continues to improve to advance its tourism system.
From the era of Regent Abdullah Azwar Anas until he was replaced by his wife Ipuk Fiestiandani, the restructuring of the face of the regency with a population of 1.74 million people (according to BPS 2024) continued.
Massive promotion of tourism is certainly directly proportional to the increase in GRDP (Gross Regional Domestic Product) of the community where ownership of two-wheeled vehicles or motorbikes in Banyuwangi reached 401,046 units in 2023. This figure decreased when compared to 2022 which reached 473,461 units.
However, the arrangement of public transport facilities in Banyuwangi Regency still does not seem to have the attention of Banyuwangi Regent Ipuk Fiestiandani.
“While we were there (Banyuwangi), we found that angkot (public transport) is rare. It was most often seen on the main road towards the harbor,” said RS.
“We don’t know the route, but you could say it’s difficult to understand. The quantity is not as much as in Jakarta or other tourist areas,” she continued.
OFFICIALS WITHOUT VISION AND MISSION TO BUILD PUBLIC TRANSPORT SHOULD NOT BE ELECTED
This was confirmed by transport observer and Vice Chairman of the Strengthening and Regional Development Division of the Indonesian Transportation Society (MTI) Djoko Setijowarno.
In a talk with The Editor, Djoko said that Banyuwangi is one of the areas where transport development is very minimal.
“The development of Banyuwangi’s transport system has regressed as it does not have an intensive programme for public transport,” he said.
Banyuwangi, he continued, only provides a free city transport programme for school children and free transport to tourist destinations for tourists with Damri.
However, Djoko questioned who the programme was actually aimed at as the people of Banyuwangi should be able to enjoy the same transport facilities as tourists traveling there.
“As there is transport prepared for tourism, then they should make transport for the public to go to tourist destinations ,” he said.
As far as Djoko is concerned, Regent Ipuk has not had a vision and mission to develop a public transport system for Banyuwangi.
“Do not re-elect regional heads who do not have a vision and mission to build a public transport system,” he said.
For him, it is because he has not found any request for additional funds from the Banyuwangi Regency Government related to the development of public transport facilities either to the Governor of East Java or the central government, in this case the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
“I believe, if the regional head requests funds to build public transport, it will be given. I have investigated this with the East Java Transportation Agency, the Ministry of Transport, and the Ministry of Home Affairs,” Djoko said.
