Anticipating Traffic Jams during the Peak of ‘Mudik’

The Government has acknowledged that many travelers are following the government's advice to return to their hometowns early. However, the possible traffic congestion during the peak of mudik travel must be anticipated.

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Aerial photo of traffic jams at the Cikarang Utama toll gate as a result of blocking the Idul Fitri homecoming for vehicles on Cikampek Toll Road KM 31, West Cikarang, Bekasi Regency, West Java, Thursday (6/5/2021).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — A few days ahead of Idul Fitri, the number of travelers using public transportation or private vehicles has begun to increase. Although many people have returned to their hometowns early, possible traffic jams during the peak of the mudik travel should be anticipated.

Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said in Jakarta on Tuesday (26/4/2022) that over the past few days, the number of vehicles departing from Greater Jakarta to East, West and Central Java had increased by around 11 percent. The number of passengers and vehicles had also increased at the Merak ferry port, Banten. This could be seen from the queue of vehicles of around 1 kilometer on the way to the Merak port on Tuesday afternoon.

"This shows that the people have heeded President Joko Widodo's appeal to return to their hometowns early, so we appreciate it. However, we hope that other mudik travelers will also do the same, " said Budi at the rest area at kilometer marker (KM) 57 of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road.

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Based on the ministry’s data on the seventh day (D-7) before Idul Fitri on Monday (25/4), there was an increase in the number of passengers in almost all modes of transportation. The number of bus passengers on D-7 reached 88,162 people, an increase of 40.5 percent compared to that in April 16, 2022.

At the same time, the number of train passengers had increased 42.4 percent to 68,892 people, while the number of sea passengers reached a total of 48,566 people, an increase of 142.1 percent.

A downward trend in the number of passengers only occurred in air transportation. The number of air passengers declined by 30.3 percent to 73,290 people.

The passenger figures were recorded at 111 bus terminals, 16 ferry ports, 50 airports, 110 seaports, and 13 train stations.

"Through this data, we predict that many people have returned to their hometowns early in line with the government's advice, to avoid a severe congestion during the peak of the Idul Fitri exodus from 18 April to 30 April 2022," said ministry spokesman Adita Irawati.

TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Rest area or resting place at Kilometer 57 of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road, Tuesday (26/4/2022). Since the last two days, the rest area has been crowded with travelers to refuel and buy food.

Private vehicles

According to Adita, the people who had returned to their hometowns early not only used public transportation or private vehicles.

According to data from toll operator PT Jasa Marga (Persero) Tbk, as many as 598,538 vehicles had left Greater Jakarta (Jabotabek) between D-10 and D-7 to Idul Fitri, or between 22 April and 25 April. The figure was gathered from the movement of vehicles at four main tollgates (GT), namely GT Cikupa (heading to Merak), GT Ciawi (heading to Puncak), as well as GT Cikampek Utama and GT Kalihurip Utama (heading to the Trans-Java Toll Road and Bandung).

Of the total number of vehicles, 159,610 vehicles headed to the Trans-Java Toll Road via GT Cikampek Utama tollgate. The number of vehicles exiting the Trans-Java Toll Road increased by 17.1 percent compared to that in normal days. The increase indicated that many travelers with private vehicles had returned to their hometowns early.

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> ‘Mudik’ Ordeal on Sumatra’s Eastern Road

> Joy of Orderly ‘Mudik’

Based on Kompas monitoring at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, traffic on the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road from KM 42 to KM 47 in the direction of Cikampek was congested. The traffic jams occurred in the meeting points of vehicles from the Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) Elevated Toll Road section with vehicles from the lower Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road.

Vehicles from the lower Jakarta-Cikampek toll road were dominated by three-axel vehicles and above. On Tuesday night, traffic at the KM 57 rest area was also more crowded than in the afternoon and evening.

An increase in vehicular flow also occurred on the Cikopo-Palimanan Toll Road. On Tuesday at 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., there were 14,272 vehicles bound for Java. The number had jumped from 9,929 vehicles on the same hours on Monday.

Cumulatively, the number of vehicles using the toll road on Monday reached a total 48,150 vehicles. The number of the vehicles increased from 34,975 vehicles on Thursday (21/4) and 40,525 vehicles on Friday (22/4).

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

Officers install an information board during a trial for applying odd-even traffic engineering on the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road at kilometer 47 Karawang, West Java, Monday (25/4/2022). The trial will be carried out for three days until Wednesday (27/4/2022).

Not leaving yet

Transportation observer at the Bandung Institute of Technology, Sony Sulaksono, said that the increase in the number of private vehicles departing from Jabotabek was still insignificant because many people still had to work and could not return to their hometowns early as advised by the government. Therefore, the possible congestion during the peak of the mudik traffic must still be anticipated.

"Traffic jams may still occur during the peak of the homecoming remains. So, a traffic control system such as the use of the odd-even license plate policy can reduce vehicle numbers on one particular day. It is expected that with this odd-even regulation, the concentration of travelers can be divided on odd and even dates," said Sony.

To anticipate the peak of mudik traffic, the police will implement the odd-even policy and one-way system from 28 April 28 to 1 May 2022.

Traffic management will be carried out starting from KM 47 of the Jakarta-Cikampek Toll Road to KM 414 of the Kalikangkung tollgate in Semarang, Central Java.

On 28 April, the policy will be applied from 5 p.m. to midnight. On 29-30 April, the odd-even regulation and one-way will be applied from 7 a.m. to midnight, while on 1 May, the duration will be cut to 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Also read:

> Odd-Even Traffic Policy Trial On Toll Road Starts Today

The traffic director at the East Java Police, Sr. Comr. Latif Usman, said that one-way traffic would also be applied on the Ngawi toll road to Surabaya. The one-way traffic is expected to ease severe traffic jams due to the flows of vehicles from Central Java.

According to Latif, the one-way system may be applied from KM 574 of the Ngawi-Kertosono toll road to GT Waru Gunung tollgate at KM 741 of the Surabaya-Mojokerto toll road. When the one-way traffic is applied, all entry gates are closed. Mudik travelers from east to west via the toll roads will be diverted to regular roads.

In Sumatra, an increase in the number of vehicles was also seen on the Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar Toll Road. Based on data from toll road operator PT Hutama Karya, on D-8 to Idul Fitri on Sunday (24/4), there were 8,259 vehicles passing the South Bakauheni GT. The number increased from the daily average of 5,595 vehicles in March 2022.

The director of operations at PT Hutama Karya, Koentjoro, said his office had prepared facilities to anticipate a surge in the number of vehicles ahead of Idul Fitri. Hutama Karya has prepared 258 operating substations at tollgates. In addition, 47 electronic card readers have also been prepared to speed up payment when queues occur at tollgates. (TAM/GIO/JOL/NAD/BRO/RAM/FRN/JUM/RTG/NCA/ZAK/IKI/VIO/NIK)

This article was translated byHendarsyah Tarmizi.