A lesson learned?<\/p>\n
To judge by the countless tales of distress that have been
\ncirculating in Jakarta these past few days, the transportation
\nsystem that was to serve those traveling home to celebrate Idul
\nFitri with friends and family in the provinces is just not up to
\nthe job. And considering the growing tide of Idul Fitri travelers
\nin this country, next year seems to promise no better.<\/p>\n
Never before has Indonesia seen such gigantic crowds trapped
\nin jams. About 400 travelers were reported to have fainted after
\nbeing forced to walk 13 kilometers along the road between Cilegon
\nand Merak, in the northwestern tip of Java, because traffic had
\nground to a complete halt. At Gambir railway station in Central
\nJakarta people had to wait in line a whole night or longer to get
\ntickets. And once they got the tickets, some of them could not
\neven use them, blocked as they were by the mass of people trying
\nto force their way onto the trains.<\/p>\n
A crowd of tens of thousands of prospective travelers clogged
\nup bus stations, unable to get a bus because vehicles trying to
\ncome into Jakarta were blocked by a 50-kilometer traffic snarl
\nalong the northern coastal route linking the capital with cities
\nin Central and East Java.<\/p>\n
The situation would look even grimmer if other tales of
\nconfusion were added to the list -- such as the long waits people
\nhad to endure at stations in provincial towns for transportation
\nto smaller towns and villages. One woman was reported to have
\ngiven birth at a bus station. In another incident, a man
\ncollapsed and died. And many inter-city bus conductors exploited
\nthe general disorder by slapping a 100 percent surcharge on
\npassengers. This was done after the buses passed the city
\nboundaries so as to evade sanctions.<\/p>\n
The Armed Forces sent ships and trucks to help shift travelers
\nfrom Merak to Sumatra across the Sunda Strait, but they could not
\ndo much. About 60,000 people were still stranded on Feb. 29, one
\nday before Idul Fitri. And on that very date at bus stations in
\nJakarta many more people were reported to still be waiting for
\ntransportation.<\/p>\n
This chaotic situation was made worse by the tremendous number
\nof private cars which joined the holiday exodus. And the drivers'
\nlack of discipline and confusion at being ordered to take
\ndetours over unfamiliar roads compounded the madness.<\/p>\n
The biggest factor contributing to the confusion, however, was
\nof course the sheer number of travelers this year, which exceeded
\nall expectations. The authorities who had declared that
\neverything would be fine long before Idul Fitri seem to have been
\ntaken by surprise by the frenzy.<\/p>\n
It is important to realize that the tremendous improvement of
\nIndonesia's road infrastructure and the rising standard of living
\nhave combined to boost the mobility of the populace. At the same
\ntime the population of Jakarta, always the main departure point
\nfor Idul Fitri travelers, is growing because more people are
\nflocking to the city and its surrounding areas, where industrial
\nactivity is pulsing along at a rapid rate. People come to Jakarta
\nbecause for many Jakarta is still the city of opportunity. And
\nthose who \"swim upriver\" to their hometowns and villages during
\nIdul Fitri seem to illustrate to those left behind the truth of
\nthat notion. This, in turn, exerts a powerful pull on rural
\npeople to follow their friends and relatives to the big city.<\/p>\n
People can be expected to continue to flock to Jakarta as long
\nas industrial growth remains out of balance and centered in large
\nurban areas. And this flow will surely exacerbate the widening
\nsocial gap.<\/p>\n
On one side of the gap rural people are forced to leave the
\nprovinces to escape dire conditions, while the nouveaux riches of
\nurban settlements enjoy the many luxuries and privileges which
\npresent-day Indonesia has to offer.<\/p>\n
Clearly it is time we paid more attention to the needs of the
\naverage Indonesian citizen. Before the Idul Fitri holidays next
\nyear the authorities would do well to anticipate all
\neventualities and see to the needs of travelers. Better
\npreparation seems to be in order and the possibility of another
\nsudden increase in the number of those who want to celebrate Idul
\nFitri in their hometowns must be anticipated. The transportation
\nsystem must be better managed.<\/p>\n
There are many facets to this Idul Fitri transportation
\nbusiness. It would be wise, and certainly more helpful for
\ntravelers, if the authorities in charge were to admit to any
\npossible limitations the system might have, rather than simply
\nsaying that everything has been arranged.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/a-lesson-learned-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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