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The Indonesian holiday island of Batam is preparing to welcome Singapore travelers again, after both countries formally agreed to resume cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes.
Preparations are underway to install equipment to run polymerase chain reaction tests at the Batam Center ferry terminal, which has been designated as an entry and exit point for sea voyages. Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will serve air travelers.
Singapore and Indonesia issued a joint statement last Monday announcing a reciprocal green lane for travel between the two countries. Applications will begin on October 26 and will travel shortly thereafter.
Batam Mayor Acting Syamsul Bahrum said: “We have simulated arrival procedures for travelers, from ship disembarkation to swab testing and transfer to their respective hotels.”
He added that officials from the Jakarta Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are expected to go to the island before October 26 to carry out the procedures.
The news of the cross-border relaxation brought much joy to Batam, a popular weekend getaway for Singaporeans before the pandemic.
Nika Astaga, operations manager for the Batam Center’s international ferry port, told The Straits Times that the port served about 5,000 travelers from Singapore and Malaysia daily before the pandemic, with numbers reaching 15,000 by the end of March. week and peak holiday season.
Local authorities had told him to be prepared to handle around 300 passengers from Singapore in the first month once the green lane takes effect. “The number is not significant, but for the initial stage we are happy. It is a good sign, like an oasis in the desert for us who have suffered losses for seven months,” he added.
So far, around 10 hotels on the island have been identified to receive travelers from Singapore. One of the hotels, Asialink Hotel Batam by Prasanthi, said it has received bookings for two rooms for after October 26 from Singaporeans since the green lane was announced.
The hotel’s general manager, Arinis, said guests will be served meals at promotional prices while they await the results of the smear tests.
As a precautionary measure, guests will receive single access keys. If they leave the room without permission while waiting for the results and are blocked, they will be reported to the authorities.
Rooms will also be simply furnished, with decorations removed to minimize touching surfaces and the spread of the coronavirus, he added.
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