Main transportation in Puncak Jaya Regency – ediginting.com
Jayapura, Jubi – Illu Sub-district residents, Puncak Jaya Regency, Papua said they had benefited from subsidized flights provided by Papua Provincial Government in collaboration with the airlines serving the flight route to Papua remote areas.
A local resident, Mekinus Kogoya, said earlier the flight fare from Illu to Wamena, Nabire and Jayapura by small aircraft carrying 12 passengers cost Rp 500,000. “Now, the airfare from Illu to Wamena is Rp 250,000-300,000, Illu-Nabire Rp 250 thousand, Illu – Jayapura Rp 300,000. It is because of the subsidy. It helps people,” said Kogoya in the conversation with Jubi at Illu on last week.
He said, with more affordable fare, people could fly to other areas for the urgent matter.
“Ticket prices used to be expensive. People were in trouble if there’s an urgent need. But now people are not too burdened. For example, when they are going to Wamena, people currently prefer to take an airplane that a car,” he said.
According to him, the land transportation fare from Illu-Wamena is more expensive than the airfare Wamena-Illu and vice versa.
“If taking a car from Wamena-Illu, the fare per person is about Rp 500 thousand. Therefore people prefer to take an airplan. It is the plane is not available for everyday. The flight schedule to Illu is three times a week,” he said.
If the airfare ticket from Illu to several areas could be affordable, it is different with the taxibike fare from Illu to other sub-districts in Puncak Jaya Regency. For example, the route Illu-Tingginambut that could be reached in approximately 30 minutes could reach Rp 1 million.
“The cheapest is between Rp 500-600 thousand. It could reach Rp 1 million. It depends on the situation. If it rains or there is security caution, it could reach Rp 1 million,” said another Illu resident Yus Enumbi.
According to him, besides non-Papuans, the taxibike drivers are also the local residents.
“Many local kids here are becoming the taxibike drivers because the fare is tempting. It is good for them to have a job that generate incomes,” he said. (*/rom)
