Exodus gains momentum, but under control<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The number of passengers leaving for their home
\ntowns for Idul Fitri celebration from the Pulogadung bus
\nterminal, East Jakarta, and from Soekarno-Hatta International
\nairport rose significantly yesterday, but remains feasible.<\/p>\n
"Regular buses were still adequate to transport them," said
\nthe chief of the Pulogadung bus terminal, A. Hakim, yesterday.<\/p>\n
"On Wednesday about 39,000 people departed from the bus
\nterminal and the number increased to 39,571 on Thursday.
\nPassengers arriving at the terminal numbered 14,251 on Wednesday
\nand rose to 18,446 on Thursday," he told reporters.<\/p>\n
Yesterday the city administration launched a 16-day special
\noperation, code-named Operasi Lebaran 1995, with the aim of
\nproviding public transport vehicles for Jakartans intending to
\ncelebrate the Idul Fitri holiday in their home towns.<\/p>\n
Under the operation the City Land Transportation Agency will
\ndeploy over 7,000 buses, consisting of 6,462 regular buses and
\n1,050 additional buses.<\/p>\n
Out of the 1,050 additional buses, 325 busses are from the
\nstate-owned bus company, PPD, 225 from the state-owned bus
\ncompany, DAMRI, 300 from private city bus company, Mayasari
\nBakti, 200 from the private Metro Mini company, 100 the Kopaja
\ncompany, 50 from the Bianglala company and 25 each from the
\ncompanies Arion, Mass Trans and Himpurna.<\/p>\n
J.P. Sepang, head of the transport agency, said the city
\nadministration predicted that over two million people would leave
\nthe Jakarta using public transportation during the festival this
\nyear.<\/p>\n
Bus terminal weather shelters are unable to accommodate the
\nnumbers involved, and many passengers have been forced to wait
\noutside.<\/p>\n
"I don't understand why the bus I am taking hasn't arrived
\nyet. It was scheduled to arrive at one o'clock but now it's two
\no'clock already," said Sunaryo, a construction worker hoping to
\nreturn, with members of his family, to his hometown in Solo,
\nCentral Java.<\/p>\n
A bus driver who had just entered the terminal told The
\nJakarta Post that the delays were being caused mainly by a
\ntraffic jam in Brebes, Central Java.<\/p>\n
"There is bridge construction project there which is hindering
\ntraffic. The problem is being made worse by trucks, which cannot
\ngo fast because of their heavy loads," said Anton Lukman, the
\ndriver of a bus plying the route between Jakarta and Pekalongan
\nand other cities in Central Java.<\/p>\n
The number of people leaving the city by train has also
\nincreased substantially since Tuesday. Soemino, director of the
\nstate railway company, Perumka, said the rising number of
\npassengers were being attracted by discounts of between 10 to 15
\npercent, offered by the company to passengers who left the city
\nbefore Friday.<\/p>\n
"The discounts were offered to help spread the number of
\npassengers, thereby reducing the usual explosion in the number of
\npassengers over the Idul Fitri holiday", Soemino said.<\/p>\n
"Similar discounts will be offered to passengers who return to
\nJakarta between March 13 and 18," he added.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Soekarno-Hatta Airport authority, PT Angkasa
\nPuri II, has reported that the number of passengers passing
\nthrough the airport has increased but remains feasible.<\/p>\n
"The number is expected to jump tomorrow and on March 1," a
\nrepresentative, Suparyati, was quoted by the Antara news agency
\nas saying yesterday. (yns)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/exodus-gains-momentum-but-under-control-1447893297",
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