The policy has been adjusted because around 82 percent of the vehicles, approximately 808,000 units, have not yet returned to Jakarta and its surrounding areas from the east direction.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
FAKHRI FADLURROHMAN
Hundreds of cars line up to make payments at the Cikampek 2 Toll Gate, Karawang, West Java, Tuesday (25/4/2023). The peak of reverse flow is expected to be distributed over the next few days to 1 May 2023, with an increase occurring on 26-29 April 2023.
The Directorate General of Land Transportation of the Transportation Ministry and the head of the National Police Traffic Corps of the Indonesian National Police (POLRI) have decided on several strategic matters. The regulation of cargo transportation traffic has been extended until Friday (28/4/2023) at 24:00.
The one-way system that was previously implemented until Wednesday (26/4/2023) has been extended until Friday (28/4/2023). The contraflow and odd-even systems are also applied. The policy is implemented from Kilometer (Km) 414 (Kalikangkung Toll Gate) to Km 72 (Cikampek toll section).
The volume of vehicles crossing from Sumatra to Java as of yesterday was also predicted to be less than 20 percent compared to the total number of vehicles returning to Sumatra. Therefore, there are still hundreds of thousands of vehicles with millions of residents who have not yet returned to Jakarta and its surrounding areas.
The adjustment of the policy seems to have been appropriate. Moreover, on Wednesday (26/4/2023), which coincided with the first day of work, the roads in the center of Jakarta were still relatively empty. The activity in the capital has not yet returned to normal. There are still residents who ride the commuter train only for a city tour, not for work.
This year's Idul Fitri clearly shows the government is making every possible effort to fully serve the public, from setting the public holiday earlier, deciding various transportation and traffic policies that facilitate the travelers to extending various return traffic policies. It really appears that travelers are not alone in this.
ADRYAN YOGA PARAMADWYA
Homecomers rest in the corner of the ferry when crossing the Sunda Strait, Wednesday (26/4/2023). Data from the Bakauheni Post for the period April 25 to 26 2023 at 08.00, the number of travelers crossing from Sumatra Island to Java Island reached 123,232 people.
From Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo even suggested travelers return from their hometowns after 26 April. This is to alleviate the peak of the Idul Fitri return traffic on 24-25 April.
Jokowi not only urged civil servants (ASN), the military, the police and employees of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to postpone their return trip. Private sector employees were also invited to postpone their trips if possible, in addition to those who can work from anywhere, not only from the office.
Since the beginning, the government has anticipated the largest exodus of travel due to the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic. The anticipation has proven to be effective with the minimum of bad news from all over the country.
However, the mudik return traffic has not ended. The officials still have to work. Cooperation is still needed from all travelers. Be wise in choosing the time to return to the destination cities. Avoid returning on Sunday (30/4/2023) or Monday (1/5/2023) in peak hours. Do not try to smooth out the peak days of the return traffic with heavy traffic jams on the remaining two days off.
This article was translated by Tenggara Strategics.
