On the road, motorbikes overtake each other, bringing the homebound travelers with their bags full of longings for their hometowns. Some of them fail to fulfill those longings as they get into traffic accidents. However, because of limited options they have to ride their motorbikes to get home.
Habibi Eka, 2, opened his eyes after sleeping for 15 minutes. The touch of his parent’s hands awakened him. Habibi was exhausted. Along with his parents, Habibi left their home in Jakarta at 6 a.m. They have been eight hours on the road and arrived at Susukan district, Cirebon regency, West Java, to take a rest on Sunday (18/6).
They have to ride three more hours to reach Habibi’s hometown in Slawi regency, Central Java. Their parents had to awaken Habibi to continue their journey. “We are trying to reach home before Maghrib,” said Cahyadi, 30, Habibi’s father.
The time for rest had ended. Then they rode their 110cc motorbike again, which was modified to enable it to carry four bags. On the rear end were fixed two bamboo poles for the bags or for the passengers to lean on.
Cahyadi had put a piece of a cardboard box inside his jacket to block the wind. A pillow was put on the motorbike seat to make it more comfortable. Habibi’s head was covered with a hat and his mother hugged his body.
Muhammad Arifin also opted to travel home on motorbike. His destination was the house of his parents in Ponorogo, East Java. Traveling home on motorbike was a new experience for him. Normally, he traveled by car that his company loaned to him.
His wife and child had already gone home in a rented car a week beforehand. Arifin did not want to take the risk of bringing them on a motorbike for a long journey. He chose to ride the motorbike because he planned to use the vehicle around his hometown.
High risk
Along the Jakarta-Cirebon road, Arifin can count the number of potholes with his fingers, but there are a countless number that have been repaired with asphalt, which makes the road bumpy and endangers motorbike drivers.
Although they face numerous challenges, travelers opt to ride motorbikes. They keep taking the risks.
Sansono, 35, a private employee, chose to travel to his home in Pekalongan on a motorbike because it was inexpensive and he could use the motorbike in his hometown.
To reach Pekalongan, he estimated, he would not spend more than Rp 100,000 to Rp 30,000 to refuel twice and lunch for himself, his wife and their 5-year-old child would cost each of them Rp 15,000 to Rp 60,000.
Compared to the fare of the Jakarta-Pekalongan bus, which during Idul Fitri is Rp 180,000 each or Rp 540,000 for three people, riding a motorbike is much cheaper. Riding on a train, while it is more comfortable, is nearly impossible because the tickets have been sold out three months before Idul Fitri. That makes the number of motorbike riders during Idul Fitri season increase each year.
The Transportation Ministry estimated the number of homebound motorcycle travelers in 2016 was 5.3 million people. That number was an increase of 15.42 percent from the previous year, when it was 4.6 million people. The ministry said the number of travelers using motorcycles represents 27.83 percent of the total number of homebound travelers, which is estimated to be 19.04 million. Motorbikes are the second most common mode of transportation for homebound travelers after airplanes, which are used by 5.4 million people.
Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi and the head of the National Police’s traffic corps, Insp. Gen. Royke Lumowa, have repeatedly called for homebound travelers to avoid using motorbikes and suggested they take other modes of transportation because of the high risk of accidents motorcycles represent.
According to the traffic corps, during the 2016 Idul Fitri season, out of 2,900 total traffic accidents, 70 percent of them involved motorbikes. Gadjah Mada University transportation observer Sigit Priyanto said motorbikes were not recommended for homebound travelers because they were not designed for long distance journeys. “The riders get exhausted. Their concentration and focus will decline and trigger accidents,” Sigit said.
Despite all those conditions, homebound motorcycle drivers seem to ignore the danger. Although the government has provided free transportation on trains and ferries, the number of motorbike travelers is still high and increasing.
“Each Idul Fitri is a moment to fulfill the longing for interaction and meeting with parents and other family members. I do not mind riding a motorcycle for hours along the northern coast of Java,” Sansono said.
It is not surprising that during the annual homebound exodus, the number of fatal traffic accidents mostly involve motorbikes. When will this problem get solved?
(B KRISNA YOGATAMA, RHAMA PURNA JATI, ABDULLAH FIKRI ASHRI)
