Earlier Holiday Imposed to Anticipate Surge in ‘Mudik’ Travelers

People’s enthusiasm about going home for Idul Fitri holiday, locally known as Lebaran, needs to be anticipated with increased services from all related stakeholders for the sake of travelers’ comfortable and safe trips.

KRISTI DWI UTAMI

Density of motorbike riders on Jalan Pantura, Wanasari District, Brebes Regency, Central Java, Friday (24/4/2022). The traffic flow on the coast of Brebes-Tegal is quite busy because the "mudik" (homecoming) flow is divided.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Traffic scenarios and mitigation measures have been prepared to anticipate a massive surge in the number of mudik (exodus) travelers this year during Idul Fitri. The solution is to again implement one-way and open-closed traffic systems to avoid gridlocks.

According to a survey by the Transportation Ministry’s Transportation Policy Agency, this year’s Idul Fitri national holiday expects as many as 123.8 million people nationwide to travel for mudik to their hometowns. The figure is a significant increase from 85.5 million people last year.

In terms of choice of transportation mode, as many as 27.32 million people are projected to travel by private vehicle, 25.13 million by motorcycle, 22.77 million by bus, 14.47 million by train, and 9.53 million by rental car. Ferries are expected to be used by 6.67 million travelers, airplanes 6.19 million, and ships 1.66 million.

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During a work meeting with the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission V overseeing transportation on Tuesday (4/4/2023), Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono made assurances that the land transportation infrastructure was ready to accommodate mudik travel. As many as 11 toll roads would be operated specially and free of charge to facilitate mudik, starting on 15 April.

Those toll roads are the Cimalaka-Dawuan section of the Cileunyi-Sumedang-Dawuan (Cisumdawu) toll road, the Taruma Jaya-Cilincing section of the Cibitung-Cilincing toll road, the Cigombong-Cibadak section of the Ciawi-Sukabumi toll road, and the Jatikarya-Cikeas section of the Cimanggis-Cibitung toll road, as well as the Pasuruan Probolinggo, Solo-Yogyakarta, NYIA Kulon Progo, and Southern Jakarta-Cikampek II toll roads.

National highways on the island of Java that are ready to accommodate mudik span 4,858 kilometers.

We have prepared scenarios of the one-way and contraflow traffic systems.

On the same occasion, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said traffic engineering had been readied for the Cipali toll road, which was predicted to take the brunt of the vehicular load.

"We have prepared scenarios of the one-way and contraflow traffic systems, as well as additional rest areas, deployment of more traffic officers and [application of] technologies developed by Jasa Marga to enable [real-time traffic] predictions for when [travelers] depart,” he said, adding that the odd-even traffic system would also be an option, depending on urgency.

House Commission V chairman Lasarus pointed out a need to improve the readiness of transportation infrastructure and facilities to ensure security, safety and ease during travel.

In Subang, West Java, Astra Infra Solutions CEO Ega N. Boga said some 1,300 personnel would be ready to help serve travelers. Their services would be supported by 812 surveillance cameras, 36 patrol vehicles, 21 ambulances, 12 rescue vehicles, and 48 cranes on the 396-kilometer toll road operating under the management of the Astra Infra Group.

KOMPAS/VINA OKTAVIA

Koentjoro, Director of Operations III Hutama Karya, checked the facilities and infrastructure for preparations for the Idul Fitri homecoming Rest Area 234 of the Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung Toll Road, Lampung, on Tuesday (4/4/2023).

PT Hutama Karya (Persero), which operates the Trans-Sumatra Highway, has also declared its readiness to accommodate the mudik travel season. An estimated 2.8 million travelers are expected to use the Trans-Sumatera Highway.

"We have prepared a strategy and mitigation [measures] to optimize services. [We] ensure [good] road conditions and [the availability of] facilities on toll roads, especially rest areas that are comfortable for travelers to use," Koentjoro, operations director III of Hutama Karya, said in Lampung.

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> Future ‘Mudik’ Traffic Management Could Be More Comprehensive

The Lampung provincial administration has also accelerated repair work on road sections, especially those next to the tollgates on the Bakauheni-Terbanggi Besar and Terbanggi Besar-Pematang Panggang-Kayu Agung sections. Repairs are still underway on four sections of the provincial roads.

Road repairs are also ongoing on several road sections in West Java. West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said patching on roads, especially in the Cirebon area, would be completed 10 days before Idul Fitri. Apart from being part of the local administration’s policy to serve the public with better transportation infrastructure, the road repairs aim to help reduce congestion during mudik, with travelers offered alternative routes.

Earlier national holiday

As part of measures to anticipate a surge in mudik travelers, the government has decided to start the Idul Fitri national holiday two days earlier (19 April) than the previously declared official date of 21 April.

“The [nationwide] collective leave has been brought forward two days before Idul Fitri, with one extra day compared to last year. What for? We need to anticipate an increase in mudik travelers from 85 million [last year] to an estimated 123 million this year," Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Muhadjir Effendy said at the State Palace in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He also pointed out that the Covid-19 emergency status was still in place, though with eased health protocols in line with the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO).

We need to anticipate an increase in mudik travelers from 85 million [last year] to an estimated 123 million this year.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin expected mudik travelers to be fully vaccinated for Covid-19. He said a second booster dose would available for free at public health facilities. When the pandemic status changed to an endemic, people would need to pay for their vaccination.

The people’s enthusiasm about mudik is palpable in several areas. In Malang, East Java, more than 55 percent of train tickets have been sold, even though Idul Fitri is still weeks away. The Surabaya 8 operational area of state-owned train operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia has set aside 37 percent more seats compared to last year.

For long-distance trips from Malang station, 52 percent of the available 134,197 had already been sold as of 3 April. The tickets are for departures between April 12 and May 3.

Several regional administrations are offering free mudik trips, with the East Java provincial administration announcing that it had 1,440 seats left as of Tuesday.

The free mudik tickets provided by the Central Java and Jakarta administrations are reportedly sold out.

(TAN/WER/RAM/NIK/NSA/IKI/HLN/CAS/VIO/IKI/Z02)

This article was translated by Musthofid.