With the Chinese economy facing massive challenges, there have been concerns over its growth potential, at least in the immediate future.

Yet a key exception is emerging in the form of domestic tourism.

Last week’s five-day public holiday to mark labour day saw 295 million trips made within China, according to figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This was 28% higher than pre-pandemic figures recorded in 2019.

The Transport Ministry’s figures are also staggering: 92 million rail trips; almost 10 million air trips and 1.25 billion highway journeys.

However, this comes as international arrivals continue to lag, with foreigners currently entering China at barely 30% of 2019 levels. Why the disparity?

The beautiful historical river town of Wuzhen, a short drive from Shanghai, is considered one of China’s top visitor sites for travellers of all types. When we arrive the little pathways and old bridges which cross narrow waterways are filled with visitors.

A popular thing to do in Wuzhen is to pose for photos dressed in traditional hanfu clothing – as if you have really been transported back hundreds of years.

Two women in their 20s, friends since high school, are visiting from Jilin Province in the north east. After arriving, they spend an hour getting their hair done in an elaborate imperial-era style – and they are full of praise for Wuzhen’s classical beauty.

We ask if, following the post-Covid opening up, many of their family and other friends have been travelling much? “Of course, after the pandemic, we’re all visiting other places.”

Nearby a local man who is selling ice-creams also says tourist numbers are “not that bad lately”.

As good as before Covid? “Almost the same,” he replies.

Shopkeeper Wang Ying, who sells traditional snacks, echoes this sentiment with a big smile on her face. “Business is going well, and it’ll only get better.”

All this will be seen as good news for the Chinese government. It’s been saying that a push on domestic consumption can counter the significant faltering portions of the economy.

Major players in the once-mighty property sector are struggling to stay afloat, local government debt continues to rise, and persistent youth unemployment has left highly qualified university graduates uncertain of their future.

Amid all these challenges, the Communist Party has set a target of “around 5%” GDP growth for this year. Apart from the fact that analysts have long questioned the veracity of the country’s official growth figures, economists are also asking how such a target can be reached, in any genuine sense, in 2024 without significant extra stimulus.

One lifeline could be a more buoyant travel scene which could bring broader business opportunities and greater service industry employment.

Schubert Lou, chief operating officer at travel agency Trip.com, told the BBC: “We’ve seen very strong domestic travel demand with search volumes in hotels up 67% compared to last year, and flight volumes up 80%.”

Tourism industry consultant Peng Han from Travel Daily is following the investment trail to see how the business community really views the possibilities in the sector.

“With famous international hotel brands – like Intercontinental, Marriott and Hilton – you just have to look at their growth in China in 2023,” he says. “Then check the performance goals for these large hotel groups in 2024 which have also been set relatively high. This shows that they are very optimistic about the growth potential of the Chinese market.”

But, while the volume of local travellers might be up, Mr Peng does point to the problem of per capita consumption which remains persistently low.

He says general uncertainty about the Chinese economy is putting more emphasis on saving, so people are looking for good value options. They are going on holidays and paying for things but doing so much more frugally.

This is where an increase in big-spending foreigners could help. But they are simply not travelling to China in the numbers they used to.

In 2019, nearly 98 million international visitors came to the country. Last year it was only 35 million – including business trips, students and the like. Mr Lou describes the domestic versus international market as “uneven”.

For many in the tourism industry here specialising in services for foreign travellers, “uneven” would be an understatement. Three years of harsh Covid prevention measures drove down arrivals from other countries, but that alone can’t account for the current situation.

Huang Songshan, the head of the Centre for Tourism Research in the School of Business and Law at Australia’s Edith Cowan University, blames this weakness in part to “the shifting geopolitical landscape globally”.

In the peer-reviewed East Asia Forum, he pointed to a 2023 survey carried out by the Pew Research Centre, writing that, “Most individuals in Western nations hold unfavourable views towards China. The Chinese government’s tightening grip on societal regulations could potentially cause discomfort for foreign travellers in China.”

Official travel advice from some governments echo this sentiment, at times quite harshly.

Washington warns potential travellers to “reconsider travel to Mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions”.

Australia advises “a high degree of caution” warning that “Australians may be at risk of arbitrary detention or harsh enforcement of local laws, including broadly defined National Security Laws”.

The political environment has also taken a toll on flight availability and price. This is especially the case with connections to and from North America. Last month’s 332 scheduled round trips between China and the US contrasts with 1,506 in April 2019.

As a result, finding a seat on a direct flight can be extremely difficult and those that are available are very expensive.

President Xi Jinping made a speech at a dinner on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in San Francisco last November addressing this point. “Today, President Biden and I reached important consensus,” he told the crowd.

“Our two countries will roll out more measures to facilitate travels and promote people-to-people exchanges, including increasing direct passenger flights, holding a high-level dialogue on tourism, and streamlining visa application procedures. We hope that our two peoples will make more visits, contacts and exchanges and write new stories of friendship in the new era.”

Washington has since increased the number of Chinese airline flights permitted to land – but only from 35 per week to 50. It is still well short of the 150 weekly trips pre-Covid.

The Biden administration is coming under pressure from unions and US airlines to not increase this any further because, they argue, Chinese airlines have an unfair advantage over them as they have state support; don’t face the same onerous Chinese regulations; and, crucially, can fly over Russian airspace, making trips shorter and cheaper.

A letter to the US government from the Chair of the House Committee on China, Mike Gallagher, and the committee’s top Democrat representative, Raja Krishnamoorthi, reads: “Should the US-China passenger carrier market expand without the US government addressing these significant issues, US aviation workers, travellers and airlines will pay a hefty price tag.”

Mr Lou says the frequency of international flight connections is definitely having an impact.

“What we are seeing right now, based on civil aviation data, is that inbound flight capacity won’t get back to even 80% of 2019 [levels] by the end of 2024.”

Then there are other potential turnoffs for those considering travelling in China, like the country’s state-of-the-art phone app payment and booking systems which work very smoothly for Chinese citizens and residents, but which can be an enormous headache if you have just arrived.

There are certain sites, transport options, and purchases which can only be accessed via Chinese electronic apps which are, at times, only available in Chinese.

Professor Chen Yong at Switzerland’s EHL Hospitality Business School is an authority on the economics of tourism in China. He thinks that hurdles relating to payment and booking apps can pose a real problem.

“Technologies such as social network websites, online maps, payment apps, among others, which foreigners have long been accustomed to using, are either unavailable or inaccessible when they travel to China,” he says.

“On the other hand, there are Chinese alternatives to these technologies that remain inaccessible to foreigners due to language barriers and differences in user habits. We need to bridge this divide because it affects the tourist industry badly.”

Back in Wuzhen, the presence of international travellers is much smaller than in years gone by, but there are still a few foreign faces in the crowd.

An Italian couple says the process of linking up to and using China’s payment apps was a challenge but that it was not insurmountable, though they add, with a laugh, that it is “much, much, much easier” if you have a Chinese friend to help you.

Eliseo, from California, says he has had problems making payments to small vendors who don’t accept credit cards and really no longer deal with cash. Another hurdle for him has been his bank at home which has blocked some payments, flagging them as potentially fraudulent coming from China.

Chinese officials have acknowledged that the foreign traveller numbers have been low but they are now trying to turn this around.

One way they’re attempting to attract more foreign visitors is by increasing the number of countries whose citizens don’t need a visa to enter. Trip.com says this resulted in an almost immediate increase in passenger arrivals from Southeast Asia.

In 23 Chinese cities, transit passengers from more than 50 countries are also able to stay for a few days visa free if they have an onward ticket. In Shanghai, hotels above a three-star level have been told that they should prepare to deal with international credit cards and an initial batch of 50 taxis have also started accepting them.

However, Professor Chen says “it would be too optimistic to envision a long-term growth in China’s inbound tourism”.

“The key is to establish a culture that puts service providers in the shoes of foreign tourists. They should imagine themselves being a foreigner who can’t speak or read Chinese and who doesn’t have a Chinese mobile number, payments apps and so on.”

He says that the culture around this can’t be changed overnight.

Yet, in places like Wuzhen – where the local travellers have already returned – the tourism companies are hoping that incredible sites like theirs will eventually be too much for foreigners to resist as well.

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BBCInfluencers like Ranting Gola (left) and Sham Sharma are using their social media presence to promote political parties

Just weeks before the first ballot was cast in this year’s Indian election, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was at an event in Delhi rubbing shoulders with people known by names like BeerBiceps and Curly Tales.

The event – an awards show, congratulating some of the country’s top social media stars on their work – was an acknowledgement of the power of the influencer which a few years ago may have seemed unimaginable.

And as politicians prepared to battle it out for India’s billion votes, these influencers were being lined up to play a crucial role in reaching the young, the disinterested and the disillusioned.

But even as some celebrate social media’s democratisation of the media – a place where any one can share their views freely – others paint a darker picture, one where threats are rife, and the truth can be set aside for the right pay cheque.

A decade ago, you would have struggled to find anyone calling themselves an “influencer”.

But now, says Vinay Deshpande, co-founder of Rajneethi, a political management consultant firm, “it’s become a profession”.

“I know teenagers who are doing this part-time to earn pocket money.”

Pocket money underplays the earning potential somewhat, however. At the lower end, people can charge around 2,000 rupees ($24; £19) a day, but top influencers can pull in about 500,000 rupees for a post – equivalent to the monthly salary of someone in top-level management.

The creator of the Ranting Gola channel revealed to the BBC that political parties and election management firms have offered as much as “100,000 to 500,000 rupees for a single campaign”.

It is no small amount – but then, it could turn the tide in a candidate’s favour.

Mr Deshpande says they have helped an opposition candidate win an assembly election by pushing out content through a curated list of local influencers with a small but active following.

“Social media content is powerful and can influence the way a person feels about an issue,” Mr Deshpande says. “It gives social currency to a belief or opinion – but this can lead to a lack of critical thinking about an issue,” he adds.

Preethi Aggarwal, 25, is one of those who turns to apps like Instagram, YouTube and Twitter to help her understand the news.

Like thousands of others, Ms Aggarwal follows a bunch of “political influencers”, or people who talk about politics on social media to “really understand what’s going on”.

“News can get boring and complicated sometimes. I think these people [influencers] make it fun and easier to understand,” she says, adding the context and their own perspective help her form her opinions.

But the problem is, whose perspective is she getting?

PMO India / YouTubePM Modi congratulated Ranveer Allahbadia (left, known as BeerBiceps) and other influencers at a recent event

YouTuber Samdish Bhatia reveals numerous politicians have reached out to him, especially in the months before this election, offering him millions of rupees to interview them.

“But they wanted me to share questions in advance or get the video approved before it’s published,” he says, adding that he declined the offers because he “likes to maintain editorial control”.

The particular trend for longer form, slightly chummy interviews – where politicians get to show off their human side – is particularly vulnerable to management, says Joyojeet Pal, an associate professor at the University of Michigan.

“Many of these interviews are carefully managed by politicians,” Mr Pal says.

But even if they aren’t, a gentler style of questioning can also blur the line between interview and promotion, says Mr Pal.

“If your questions aren’t holding power to account, then the interview just becomes a platform for easy publicity.”

But for Mr Pal, this is just one of the problems he sees with politics on social media.

In a recent research paper, he examined some of India’s top influencers and who they interviewed, finding BJP leaders were featured more often than opposition leaders.

His research also found an overall drop in the number of accounts posting content critical of the incumbent government in recent years, while the amount of pro-BJP content had increased.

“This hints at a growing hesitancy among people to be openly critical of the government whereas there seems to be more confidence in putting up polarising content or content that supports the government’s ideologies,” Mr Pal says.

“And this is dangerous for democracy,” he adds.

Getty ImagesEven in the most remote areas, Indians have access to a mobile phone and internet

Influencers supporting the opposition certainly suggested they were working in a hostile environment.

A number who post content that’s critical of the government declined to speak to the BBC for this piece citing fear of repercussions by the government. They also run their channels under pseudonyms to keep their identities secret.

The Ranting Gola told the BBC that she has often received comments that are abusive or threatening because of the videos she posts and that her Instagram account has been disabled numerous times, even though the platform hasn’t given her a clear reason for doing so.

She also only spoke to the BBC on the condition that her name not be revealed.

The BJP government has denied allegations that it has clamped down on dissent and free speech.

But even pro-BJP YouTuber Sham Sharma told the BBC that freedom of speech could be a problem in India:

0:52YouTuber Sham Sharma talks about the positives and perils of sharing his views online.

But even given these concerns, opposition parties are using the same influencer system to reach voters in what they say is a difficult environment.

“The mainstream media has been taken over by the BJP,” alleges Supriya Srinate, who heads social media for the Congress party.

“Our funds have been frozen; we have no money to advertise,” she adds, referring to action taken by India’s tax department weeks before the elections. Congress leaders have accused the government of political vendetta, but the government has denied the allegation and said that the federal department was doing its job independently.

Influencers, Ms Srinate argues, are a good way to reach voters as a result of these alleged hurdles, explaining the Congress has been working with “volunteers” who believe in the party’s ideology and want to share its work on social media.

Ankit Lal, former political advisor of the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), agrees that influencers have helped democratise the publicity landscape.

Akash Banerjee, a former journalist who runs the YouTube channel, The DeshBhakt, argues that influencers are also able to push boundaries more than the traditional media can.

He cites the video ‘Is India becoming a dictatorship?’ – made by popular content creator Dhruv Rathee, who is based in Germany – which takes on the government directly, and has been viewed about 24 million times on YouTube so far. The government hasn’t reacted to the video yet.

“After the video, the term ‘dictatorship’ has popped up more in conversations, and this is something that has never happened before,” Mr Banerjee says.

“Our job as influencers may not be to open the window and check if it’s really raining, but we owe it to the nation to take a look outside the window and let people know if dark clouds are approaching and that they can do something about it by voting.”

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Getty ImagesThe Dali was a ‘clearly unseaworthy’ ship with ‘an incompetent crew’, the city of Baltimore argued in a lawsuit filed Monday

Baltimore has sued the operators of the container ship that hit and destroyed one of the US city’s main bridges last month, killing six people.

The city says the Dali was “clearly unseaworthy” and accuses its owners and manager of negligence.

The ship’s Singapore-based owner and manager have already asked a court to limit their liability.

The region is reeling from the closure of its busiest maritime transit port after the span collapsed on 26 March.

“None of this should have happened,” attorneys representing the Baltimore mayor and city council argued in a federal lawsuit.

The city is asking the US District Court of Maryland for a jury trial to hold the defendants fully liable.

Naming the Dali’s owner, Grace Ocean Private Limited, and its manager, Synergy Marine Private Limited, the suit alleges the Francis Scott Key Bridge’s collapse was a direct result of their “gross negligence, and recklessness, and as a result of the unseaworthiness of the Vessel”.

On 1 April, Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine petitioned the same federal court in Maryland to cap its responsibility for the incident.

Citing a pre-Civil War maritime law, the pair of companies estimated their liability for the vessel and the cargo’s value at $43.6m (£35m).

Monday’s court filing from the city of Baltimore rebuts that number as “substantially less than the amount that will be claimed for losses and damages arising out of the Dali’s allision with the Key Bridge”.

The path taken by the cargo ship – which was exiting the Port of Baltimore under the Key Bridge – is “no stranger to large freighters”, the city’s representatives wrote.

They said the vessel “had been experiencing an inconsistent power supply” that was either not investigated or not fixed.

“The Dali left port anyway, despite its clearly unseaworthy condition,” said the lawsuit.

The filing also says the Dali was manned by “an incompetent crew that was inattentive to its duties” and “lacked proper training”.

Contains upsetting scenes.Tracking data shows the path of the Dali container towards the bridge

On Friday, port officials opened a third temporary channel for boats to enter and exit the corridor, but these channels can only sustain about 15% of pre-collapse commercial activity.

A fourth channel, that will allow most traffic back into the port, is expected to open by the end of the month.

Darrell Wilson, an attorney who represents Synergy Marine and is also handling media inquiries on behalf of Grace Ocean, told the BBC it would be inappropriate to comment on the litigation while federal investigations into the collapse were ongoing.

New drone video shows close-up view of debris from the Baltimore bridge collapse

Six construction workers who were fixing potholes died when the bridge collapsed. Two of the bodies have yet to be recovered.

Workers are still extracting thousands of tonnes of debris from the water and from atop the stationary Dali, whose original schedule would have seen it arrive at a Sri Lankan port on Monday.

Apart from two of the ship’s pilots, 21 crew members – almost all of whom are of Indian origin – remain on the ship. There is no timeline yet for when the crew will disembark or head back to sea.

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RM.id  Rakyat Merdeka – Penumpang Kereta Cepat Whoosh mengalami peningkatan pada hari Lebaran terutama keberangkatan dari Stasiun Halim menuju Stasiun Padalarang maupun Tegalluar. KCIC sudah mengantisipasi peningkatan ini dengan menambah 12 perjalanan per hari hingga 18 April 2024.

General Manager Corporate Secretary KCIC Eva Chairunisa mengatakan, peningkatan jumlah penumpang ini dikarenakan seusai bersilaturahmi dengan keluarga, penumpang mulai memanfaatkan Whoosh untuk berwisata dan berlibur ke Kota Bandung dan sekitarnya.

“Peningkatan sangat terlihat sejak Rabu (10/4) Siang dan Kamis (11/4). Setelah melakukan shalat Ied, terlihat banyak penumpang yang langsung menggunakan Whoosh. Ada pula yang baru melakukan perjalanan di hari ini untuk menghabiskan libur lebaran dan cuti bersama,” ujar Eva.

Berdasarkan pantauan, pada jam dan rute favorit yaitu Keberangkatan Halim hari ini Kamis 11 April 2024, keberangkatan mulai pukul 07.55, 08.20, sampai 12.00 terus dipadati penumpang. Okupansi pada jam favorit tersebut mencapai 80-95 persen. Penjualan tanggal 12 April juga sudah menunjukkan peningkatan yang signifikan, dimana pada jam jam favorit sudah menunjukkan angka 85 persen.

Jumlah tersebut masih terus bergerak karena penjualan masih terus berlangsung. Terlihat Kepadatan terus terjadi di loket dan mesin pembelian tiket untuk reservasi dan pembelian go show.

“Dengan 52 perjalanan per hari, penumpang mendapatkan banyak alternatif perjalanan Whoosh yang dapat mereka pilih sesuai kebutuhannya. Jarak antar jadwal atau headway Whoosh di jam sibuk mencapai 25 sampai 30 menit sehingga membuat penumpang mendapatkan fleksibilitas yang tinggi,” ujar Eva.

KCIC juga mengimbau kepada para penumpang untuk mematuhi ketentuan terkait barang bawaannya agar kenyamanan seluruh penumpang dapat terjaga. Setiap penumpang hanya dapat membawa bagasi sebanyak 3 barang dengan dimensi maksimal yaitu 100cm x 30cm x 40cm dengan berat total maksimum 20kg. Adapun 3 barang tersebut dapat berupa 2 koper atau dus dan 1 ransel atas tas tangan.

Penumpang juga dilarang membawa hewan, narkotika, senjata api dan tajam, barang mudah terbakar, barang berbau tajam, dan barang yang tidak diperbolehkan petugas dan peraturan perundang-undangan.

Penumpang diharapkan untuk mengatur waktu perjalanan menuju ke Stasiun Whoosh agar datang setidaknya 30 menit sebelum jadwal keberangkatan. Dikhawatirkan penumpang tertinggal Whoosh karena Gate boarding akan ditutup 5 menit sebelum kereta diberangkatkan demi alasan keselamatan.

Eva menambahkan, penumpang agar dapat membeli tiket melalui Aplikasi Whoosh maupun website ticket.kcic.co.id. Hal ini dikarenakan pembelian melalui 2 channel tersebut memiliki kelebihan yaitu mendapatkan fitur Pembatalan dan Perubahan Jadwal secara online.

“KCIC terus mempersiapkan pelayanan sebaik mungkin pasca lebaran. Inovasi terus dikembangkan untuk memberikan kemudahan-kemudahan penumpang yang akan menikmati layanan Whoosh.” tutup Eva.https://botakbrewok.com/wp-admin/

RM.id  Rakyat Merdeka – Penjabat (Pj) Gubernur DKI Jakarta, Heru Budi Hartono mengingatkan, seluruh Aparatur Sipil Negara (ASN) di lingkungan Pemerintah Provinsi (Pemprov) DKI Jakarta tidak boleh memperpanjang libur Lebaran.

“Sesuai dengan peraturan saja tanggal berapa masuk. Tanggal 16 masuk kan, ya sudah cukup. Sudah 10 hari (Sabtu dan Minggu tanggal 6-7),” kata Heru di Balai Kota DKI, Jakarta Pusat, seperti dikutip Antara, Rabu (10/4/2024).

Heru menyebut, nantinya ada inspeksi mendadak (sidak) yang dilakukan dalam rangka melihat secara langsung penyelenggaraan pelayanan publik, serta melakukan pengawasan agar tidak terjadi pelanggaran.

“Pertama tidak boleh perpanjang Lebaran, kecuali kondisi tertentu tiba-tiba sakit. Yang berikutnya sudah cukup. Untuk 10 hari sudah cukup. Tidak boleh diperpanjang ada sidak yang dibagi para asisten, yang tentunya nanti ada sanksi,” jelas Heru.

Untuk diketahui, Pemerintah telah menetapkan jadwal libur dan cuti bersama Lebaran 2024 untuk ASN/PNS. Aturan penetapan libur tersebut tertuang dalam Keputusan Presiden Republik Indonesia (Keppres) Nomor 7 Tahun 2024 tentang Cuti Bersama Pegawai Aparatur Sipil Negara Tahun 2024.

Keppres tersebut diteken langsung oleh Presiden Joko Widodo (Jokowi) beberapa waktu lalu. Dalam Keppres tersebut ditetapkan empat hari cuti bersama Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1445 Hijriah yang jatuh pada tanggal 8, 9, 12, dan 15 April 2024 (Senin, Selasa, Jumat, dan Senin).

Libur tersebut di luar dari dua hari libur nasional Idul Fitri 2024 atau 1 Syawal 1445 Hijriah yang jatuh pada 10 dan 11 April 2024 (Rabu dan Kamis).https://botakbrewok.com/wp-admin/

RM.id  Rakyat Merdeka – Pemberlakuan rekayasa lalu lintas satu arah atau One Way di KM 72 Tol Cipali sampai KM 414 Gerbang Tol Kalikangkung Utama dihentikan. Keputusan ini diambil berdasarkan hasil pantauan Traffic Counting visual CCTV serta pantauan personel di lapangan pada Selasa (9/4) sampai dengan pukul 09.00 WIB.

Terhitung dari pukul 07.00, 08.00, dan 09.00 WIB diketahui sumber arus bangkitan dari arah Barat (dari Cawang, Jati Asih, Rorotan, Japek, Cikampek, dan Cipali), di bawah parameter untuk dilakukan One Way. Berikut datanya:

a. KM 50+300 A Jalan Tol Jakarta-Cikampek, rata-rata volume lalu lintas selama tiga jam mencapai 3549 kendaraan per jam, di bawah parameter rekayasa lalu lintas yaitu 5.500 kendaraan per jam.

b. KM 48.100 B JORR E (dari arah Rorotan), rata-rata volume lalu lintas selama tiga jam mencapai 804 kendaraan per jam, di bawah parameter rekayasa lalu lintas yaitu 4.100 kendaraan per jam.

c. KM 43.200 A JORR E (dari arah Jatiasih), rata-rata volume lalu lintas selama tiga jam mencapai 1.939 kendaraan per jam, di bawah parameter rekayasa lalu lintas yaitu 4.100 kendaraan per jam.

d. KM 7 A Jalan Tol Jakarta-Cikampek, rata-rata volume lalu lintas selama tiga jam mencapai 2.407 kendaraan per jam, di bawah parameter rekayasa lalu lintas yaitu 5.500 kendaraan per jam.

e. KM 61.800 Tol Jakarta-Cikampek, rata-rata volume lalu lintas selama 3 jam berturut-turut mencapai 4.850 kendaraan per jam, di bawah parameter rekayasa lalu lintas yaitu 5.500 kendaraan per jam.

f. TC di KM 72 Ruas Tol Cipali, rata-rata volume lalu lintas selama 3 jam berturut-turut mencapai 3.510 kendaraan per jam, masih di bawah parameter rekayasa lalu lintas yaitu 4.200 kendaraan per jam.

g. KM 71.650A Tol Jakarta-Cikampek, rata-rata volume lalu lintas selama 3 jam berturut-turut mencapai 2962 kendaraan per jam, di atas rata-rata parameter lalin sebesar 2.300 kendaraan per jam.

h. Dari ketujuh Traffic Counting yang ada, meskipun jumlah lalu lintasnya di bawah rata-rata parameter, namun pada Traffic Counting di KM 71.650 A Tol Jakarta-Cikampek, lalu lintas rata0rata per jamnya mengalami peningkatan di atas parameter.

i. Berdasarkan data empiris, perjalanan pemudik akan dilakukan setelah buka puasa dan setelah sahur.

j. Dari hasil evaluasi volume arus lalin hari ini, tren volume arus lalu lintasnya mengalami penurunan pada 3 jam berturut-turut dari jam 07.00-09.00 WIB dibandingkan dengan tren harian pada Senin (8/4).

k. Sehubungan dengan hal tersebut, maka pelaksanaan One Way dihentikan pukul 10.00 WIB, Selasa (9/3), dengan terlebih dahulu dilaksanakan Clearance (pembersihan jalur) penormalan jalur selama 2 jam, dari pukul 10.00 sampai 12.00 WIB. Pada pukul 12.00 WIB, arus lalin dibuka normal dua arah.https://botakbrewok.com/wp-admin/

RM.id  Rakyat Merdeka – Akhirnya, akan selalu ada momentum bagi semua orang memulihkan kelembutan hati yang sejatinya ada pada setiap pribadi. Bagi masyarakat Indonesia yang agamis, salah satu momentum itu adalah Puasa Ramadan yang kemudian memuncak pada perayaan hari kemenangan, Idul Fitri. Hati yang lembut sebagai berkah Idul Fitri 1445 Hijriah itu hendaknya mampu memulihkan silaturahmi di antara sesama anak bangsa, dengan kemauan dan kesediaan mengakhiri sekat-sekat akibat beda pilihan politik yang mengemuka di sepanjang periode persiapan dan pelaksanaan Pemilu 2024.

Hari-hari ini, ketika masyarakat menempuh perjalanan mudik ke kampung halaman untuk merayakan Idul Fitri 2024 yang jatuh pada tanggal 10 dan 11 April tahun ini, mereka secara tidak langsung sudah mengatakan bahwa pemilihan presiden (Pilpres) dan pemilihan anggota legislatif (Pileg) sudah selesai. Dengan suasana hati yang lembut, komunitas pemudik ingin segera sampai di kampung halaman, berjumpa sanak keluarga, dan dengan ceria menyongsong Idul Fitri. Tumbuh semangat yang nyata untuk mengakhiri sekat-sekat akibat beda sikap dan pilihan politik saat Pilpres dan Pileg, Februari lalu.

Komisi Pemilihan Umum (KPU), pada Rabu (20/3), telah menetapkan pasangan Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka sebagai pemenang Pilpres. Dua pasangan lain yang keberatan terhadap putusan KPU itu sudah menggugat, dan gugatan itu sedang berproses di Mahkamah Konstitusi (MK). KPU juga telah menetapkan Hasil Pileg 2024. Siapa saja yang keberatan akan hasil Pileg pun dapat mengajukan gugatan ke MK.

Sesuai perkiraan sebelumnya, tidak semua komunitas puas atau mau menerima hasil Pemilu 2024 apa adanya. Kecenderungan seperti itu wajar saja. Sebagaimana terlihat di ruang publik dan juga menyimak berbagai pernyataan sejumlah kelompok masyarakat, ada kekecewaan pun kemarahan. Patut disyukuri, karena penyikapan atau keberatan atas hasil Pemilu 2024 itu diaktualisasikan sesuai koridor hukum yang berlaku, sehingga ketertiban umum tidak terganggu.

Memang, stabilitas nasional dan ketertiban umum haruslah diutamakan agar semua komunitas dapat menjalankan ragam aktivitas produktif sebagaimana biasanya. Pilpres dan Pileg secara langsung bukan agenda atau sesuatu yang baru bagi masyarakat Indonesia, termasuk dalam menyikap hasil Pemilu itu sendiri. Sejak awal dekade 2000-an, masyarakat sudah berulangkali melihat dinamika penyikapan terhadap hasil Pemilu. Dan, fakta membuktikan bahwa pada akhirnya segala sesuatunya akan berjalan baik-baik saja.

Khusus Pemilu 2024 ini, akhir dari rangkaian prosesnya berdekatan dengan bulan suci Ramadhan, bulan penuh rahmat. Penghayatan sepenuh hati semua komunitas terhadap hakekat makna bulan suci Ramadhan mendorong setiap orang untuk fokus pada olah rohani. Kehendak dan niat tulus setiap pribadi untuk instrospeksi di sepanjang bulan Suci Ramadhan akan memunculkan kesadaran untuk menerima dan menyerap yang baik dan benar, serta mengakhiri segala sesuatu yang salah. Kesadaran yang demikian mendorong setiap orang dengan lapang dada memaafkan atau mengampuni sesama, dan sebaliknya memohon maaf kepada pihak lain untuk salah yang disengaja maupun tidak disengaja.

Hati lembut yang melahirkan niat tulus untuk saling memaafkan dan mengampuni akan menjadi kekuatan besar yang mampu mengakhiri disharmoni antar-komunitas, dan juga mengakhiri sekat-sekat karena beda pilihan politik. Dari titik itulah kehidupan bersama memulai lembaran baru dan harapan akan masa depan yang lebih baik.

Fakta tentang begitu banyak komunitas terlibat dalam rivalitas sengit selama persiapan hingga hari pelaksanaan Pemilu 2024 tak perlu ditutup-tutupi. Adalah fakta juga bahwa rivalitas itu masih menyisakan persoalan hingga saat ini. Namun, sisa-sisa persoalan Pemilu itu hendaknya tidak membuat masyarakat ragu atau cemas.

Sebab, fakta historis sudah memberi bukti dan pelajaran bahwa rivalitas itu pada akhirnya bisa diselesaikan dengan baik dan benar. Hal itu bisa terwujud karena semua komunitas anak bangsa akan kembali pada pijakan tradisi luhur kebangsaan Indonesia, yakni bermusyawarah untuk mencapai kesepakatan kebangsaan.

Berkah Idul Fitri 1445 Hijriah pasti menyulut sentimen positif pada nurani semua komunitas untuk segera memulihkan silaturahmi di antara sesama anak bangsa. Dan, penyerapan sentimen positif itu sudah diperlihatkan dengan sangat Jelas oleh komunitas pemudik yang sedang melakukan perjalanan untuk berlebaran. Tepat di hari yang Fitri nanti, para pemudik akan menyegarkan kembali ikatan silaturahmi dengan kerabat dan tetangga di kampung halaman masing-masing.

Masyarakat selalu menjadikan berkah Idul Fitri sebagai momentum dan pijakan untuk memulihkan harmonisasi kehidupan bersama. Maka, dengan bijaksana dan penuh keberanian, marilah memulai lembaran baru dengan penuh pengharapan.

Selamat Idul Fitri 1445 H, Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin.

Bambang Soesatyo
Ketua MPR/Dosen Pascasarjana Fakultas Hukum Universitas Trisakti, Universitas Pertahanan (UNHAN) dan Universitas Borobudur.https://botakbrewok.com/wp-admin/

PLN Indonesia Power UBP Priok Gelar Apel Siaga Lebaran Idul Fitri

RM.id  Rakyat Merdeka – PLN Indonesia Power (PLN IP) UBP Priok berkomitmen menjaga keandalan pasokan listrik menjelang Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1445 Hijriah sehingga perayaan dapat berjalan dengan khidmat.

Untuk mengamankan pasokan listrik selama masa siaga ini, UBP Priok menyiapkan 2 posko siaga (CCR Blok 1&2, dan PLTD Senayan), 133 orang personel operasional, 73 orang personel pemeliharaan, 74 orang personel pengamanan.

Apel siaga kali ini dilakukan secara serentak di seluruh PLN Group, bertindak sebagai komandan upacara di UBP Priok yakni Djoko Mulyono Direktur Operasi Pembangkitan Gas.

Hadir juga jajaran Direksi PLN Indonesia Power lainnya M. Hanafi Nur Rifai Direktur Operasi Pembangkitan Batubara, dan Wisnoe Satrijono Direktur Manajemen Human Capital dan Administrasi.

Apel dipimpin langsung oleh Darmawan Prasodjo Direktur Utama PT PLN Persero.

Darmawan mengatakan saat masyarakat sibuk mempersiapkan lebaran, patriot PLN siap siaga untuk memastikan pasokan kelistrikan.

“Itulah mengapa saya menyebut rekan-rekan sebagai patriot bangsa. Siaga dimulai dari tanggal 3 sampai dengan 19 April. Saya berterimakasih kepada seluruh tim yang memastikan pasokan energi primer aman dan tercukupi. Sekali lagi saya juga ingin mengucapkan terimakasih kepada rekan-rekan Pembangkitan yang sudah bekerja dengan sangat keras. Untuk transmisi kita pastikan setiap pasokan, kita alirkan dengan sistem transmisi yang lancar. Posko lebaran ditambah dari tahun 2023 sebanyak 2.300 posko sedangkan tahun ini lebih dari 2.700 posko,” Ujar Darmawan Prasodjo.

Darmawan Prasodjo menambahkan, pada mudik kali ini PLN telah menyiapkan 1.300 SPKLU yang telah disiapkan di beberapa rest area.

Ini dilakukan untuk memastikan masyarakat dapat menikmati hari raya dengan gembira karena listrik aman dan handal, serta memberikan rasa tenang untuk masyarakat beribadah.

Tujuan dilaksanakannya apel siaga ini adalah untuk memberikan pengarahan serta memastikan kesiapan pada semua petugas siaga yang akan bertugas mengamankan pasokan listrik ke lokasi-lokasi kegiatan keagamaan, lokasi transportasi umum dan lokasi prioritas yang sudah ditetapkan pemerintah lainnya.

Di samping itu, siaga kali ini juga memastikan kesiapan peralatan utama dan pendukung untuk pengamanan pasokan listrik.

Djoko Mulyono menyampaikan kesiapan Pembangkitan PLN Indonesia Power pada pelaksanaan Apel Siaga Kelistrikan Ramadan dan Idul Fitri.

Dikatakan bahwa PLN Indonesia Power sudah menyiapkan 431 unit mesin yang tersebar di 107 wilayah yang siap mendukung Siaga Kelistrikan Ramadan dan Idul Fitri 1445H/2024.

Sumber daya yang dikerahkan PT PLN Indonesia Power sebanyak 1.623 orang personyil operasi, 675 orang personel pemeliharaan, 2.396 orang personel pengamanan korporat, kendaraan pendukung 33 unit damkar, 26 unit ambulance.

Dan peralatan pendukung lainnya serta material cadang gangguan tersedia dalam jumlah cukup.

Dalam laporannya, Djoko Mulyono juga menyampaikan Kesiapan Energi Primer mulai dari Batubara, LNG, BBM dengan kondisi normal, serta telah disiapkan Posko Siaga Kelistrikan Ramadan dan Idul Fitri 1445H/2024 PLN Indonesia Power sebanyak 76 lokasi.https://botakbrewok.com/wp-admin/

RM.id  Rakyat Merdeka – Kebijakan diskon tarif tol PT Jasa Marga (Persero) sebesar 20 persen yang diberlakukan pada periode arus mudik untuk perjalanan menerus Jakarta menuju Semarang, dari Gerbang Tol (GT) Cikampek Utama menuju GT Kalikangkung, dari harga semula Rp 400 ribu menjadi Rp 320 ribu terbukti efektif.

Laporan Pelaksanaan Operasional Libur Hari Raya Idul Fitri 2024 yang diterbitkan Jasa Marga pada H-7 s.d H-5 Lebaran (3 April 2024 pukul 06.00 WIB s.d 6 April 2024 pukul 06.00 WIB) menunjukkan, volume lalu lintas GT Kalikangkung (arah Semarang) selama periode pemberlakuan potongan tarif naik 66,2 persen terhadap normal atau 9,2 persen di atas rencana.

Sementara volume lalu lintas GT Cikampek Utama (arah Trans Jawa) selama pemberlakuan diskon tol naik 103,4 persen terhadap normal atau -6,3 persen di bawah rencana.

“Penerapan potongan tarif tol dinilai efektif, terlihat dari pencapaian volume lalu lintas GT Kalikangkung sebesar 9,2 persen di atas rencana,” demikian penjelasan laporan tersebut, Sabtu (6/4/2024).

Volume Lalin Keluar Masuk Jakarta

Dalam periode H-7 s.d H-5 Lebaran (3 April pukul 06.00 s.d 6 April 2024 pukul 06.00 WIB), volume tertinggi lalu lintas keluar Jakarta di 4 GT Utama terjadi pada Jumat, 5 April 2024 (H-5), dengan angka 228.984 kendaraan. Naik 27,39 persen dibanding periode Lebaran 2023, yang ketika itu mencapai 179.754 kendaraan, atau naik 53,21 persen terhadap normal (149.457 kendaraan.

Sementara volume tertinggi lalu lintas masuk Jakarta, terjadi pada Kamis, 4 April 2024 (H-6) dengan angka 139.089 kendaraan. Naik 1,26 persen terhadap Lebaran 2023 (137.363 kendaraan) atau naik 8,36 persen terhadap normal (128.353 kendaraan).

Sedangkan volume tertinggi lalu lintas keluar Jakarta menuju arah Timur, terjadi pada Jumat, 5 April 2024 (H-5) dengan angka 137.568. Naik 46,43 persen terhadap Lebaran 2023 (93.945 kendaraan) atau naik 114,01 persen terhadap normal (64.280 kendaraan).

Volume tertinggi lalu lintas masuk Jakarta dari arah Timur, dilaporkan terjadi pada Kamis, 4 April 2024 (H-6) dengan angka 61.642. Turun -4,94 persen terhadap Lebaran 2023 (64.865 kendaraan) atau naik 19,46 persen terhadap normal (51.601 kendaraan).https://botakbrewok.com/wp-admin/

RM.id  Rakyat Merdeka – JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics sudah lebih dari 40 tahun telah menjangkau masyarakat Indonesia untuk memudahkan akses dan mendekatkan layanan kesehatan mata yang berkualitas. Hal ini diiringi dengan hadirnya 15 cabang JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics di berbagai daerah di Jabodetabek dan luar Jabodetabek.

Tidak berhenti sampai di situ, JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics terus berkomitmen menjangkau masyarakat yang membutuhkan uluran tangan dan bantuan melalui kerja sama dengan BPJS Kesehatan pada klinik-klinik mata di bawah naungan JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics. Hal ini selaras dengan visi JEC untuk menghadirkan akses terhadap kesehatan mata kepada masyarakat luas di Indonesia demi distribusi yang lebih merata terhadap fasilitas kesehatan mata yang memadai.

Tanpa ada pembeda dengan pasien reguler, pasien peserta BPJS kesehatan akan mendapatkan penanganan dari dokter spesialis mata profesional yang sudah punya pengalaman dan jam terbang tinggi di bidangnya. Didukung staf yang andal dan terampil serta fasilitas dan sarana kesehatan mata terlengkap dan memadai, juga dengan dukungan teknologi terkini yang terus diperbaharui demi mempertahankan dan meningkatkan kualitas layanan yang JEC miliki selama ini.

Menandai 40 tahun kehadirannya di Indonesia, JEC berkomitmen untuk terus melangkah lebih jauh demi menguatkan optimalisasi penglihatan dan kualitas hidup masyarakat Indonesia. Gebrakan terbaru untuk mewujudkan itu, JEC meresmikan operasional Klinik Utama Mata JEC JAVA @Pasuruan dan RS Mata JEC-Orbita @Makassar. Selanjutnya, pada semester dua tahun ini, JEC berencana membuka Klinik Utama Mata JEC-Orbita @Kendari. Ketiga cabang baru tersebut semakin mengokohkan jaringan luas JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics yang sekarang tersebar di 11 kota di 6 provinsi. Dari skala besaran fasilitas, saat ini JEC sudah mengoperasikan 5 rumah sakit dan 10 klinik utama mata.

Sebelumnya, sejak berdiri pada 1984, JEC telah melaksanakan “Bakti Katarak JEC” berupa pemberian operasi katarak gratis dengan jumlah penerima manfaat mencapai lebih dari 3.000 orang. Tidak berhenti disitu, pertama di Indonesia, sejak 2022 JEC telah menggelar “Bakti Sosial Operasi Mata Juling JEC” berupa pemeriksaan, tindakan operasi hingga pemulihan kepada 100 penyandang mata juling. Terbaru, pada 2023, JEC juga menggagas pemberian 100 tindakan operasi implan glaukoma secara gratis; menjadi yang pertama di Indonesia.

Salurkan 1.445 Paket Sembako

Presiden Direktur JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics Johan A Hutauruk menyampaikan, JEC terus berupaya melakukan gebrakan-gebrakan yang berdampak baik untuk masyarakat luas. Tidak hanya dengan menghadirkan fasilitas BPJS Kesehatan hampir di semua cabang JEC Eye Hospitals and Clinics, melalui program ‘JEC Berbagi Kebaikan Ramadan 1445 H’, pihaknya juga kembali melanjutkan langkah-langkah konkret dalam meningkatkan kualitas hidup masyarakat.

“JEC tak hanya mengkhususkan dukungan pada ranah kesehatan mata, tetapi juga upaya-upaya kemanusiaan untuk membantu masyarakat yang tengah dalam keterbatasan. Kami berharap inisiatif ini mampu meringankan beban keseharian mereka agar perayaan Hari Raya Idul Fitri bisa semakin khidmat, tanpa kendala ketiadaan kebutuhan utama,” ucapnya, seperti keterangan yang diterima redaksi, Jumat (5/4).

Paket sembako sebanyak 1.445 ini disalurkan kepada anak yatim dan kalangan dhuafa di wilayah Jakarta, Depok, dan Bekasi, yang pelaksanaannya dilakukan secara bertahap mulai dari 3 April 2024. Dukungan tersebut diharapkan membantu pemenuhan kebutuhan pokok mereka saat merayakan Idul Fitri nanti.

Program “JEC Berbagi Kebaikan Ramadan 1445 H” ini masih serangkai dengan perayaan hari jadi JEC ke-40, serta bagian dari konsistensi perusahaan dalam turut serta peningkatan kualitas hidup masyarakat Indonesia. Implementasi perdana “JEC Berbagi Kebaikan Ramadan 1445 H” menguatkan peringatan empat dekade JEC yang mengusung tema “Let’s Go Extra Miles”.

“Kami menyadari berbagai inisiatif sosial tersebut masih menjangkau sebagian kecil masyarakat Indonesia. Meski demikian, kami percaya dengan implementasi yang berkelanjutan dan keterlibatan semakin banyak pihak, upaya-upaya tersebut bisa memberikan dampak yang semakin besar. Terima kasih atas dukungan dan kepercayaan yang telah masyarakat berikan kepada JEC,” tutup Johan.

JEC Group, sebagai Rumah Sakit Spesialis Mata yang telah memiliki standar layanan internasional memiliki misi dan komitmen untuk dapat meningkatkan kualitas hidup masyarakat melalui pelayanan kesehatan mata. JEC Group juga selalu berupaya untuk bisa menjadi yang terdepan dalam pelayanan kesehatan khususnya bagi pasien yang mengalami gangguan mata.https://botakbrewok.com/wp-admin/