Java's roads packed with holiday travelers<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post, Indramayu\/Semarang<\/p>\n
Driyanto, a 42-year-old man from Jakarta, left the capital at 4
\na.m. on Friday for Banyumas municipality in Central Java.<\/p>\n
He arrived in Cirebon, West Java, 12 hours later. The trip
\nnormally takes about four hours.<\/p>\n
"I arrived here at around 4 p.m., meaning it took 12 hours
\nfrom Jakarta," Driyanto told The Jakarta Post while taking a
\ntravel break in Cirebon.<\/p>\n
Many other homegoers were similarly trapped in severe traffic
\njams along West Java highways, as the annual exodus of millions
\nof people traveling overland to their hometowns to celebrate Idul
\nFitri, the end of Ramadhan, reached a peak on Friday.<\/p>\n
Thousands of vehicles packed with passengers from Jakarta and
\ntheir belongings were seen crawling along West Java's northern
\ncoastal road (Pantura) in Indramayu regency, with Idul Fitri just
\ntwo days away.<\/p>\n
Heavy traffic was also reported along a number of highways on
\nthe Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur route and at the Nagreg three-way
\nintersection in Bandung, the capital city of West Java.<\/p>\n
Traffic congestion was made worse by a number of crowded
\ntraditional markets along Pantura, from Pamanukan in Subang
\nregency to Patrol in Indramayu.<\/p>\n
Traffic jams are expected to continue until Saturday night,
\nhours before the non-obligatory Idul Fitri prayer.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of police officers, deployed to ensure smooth traffic
\nflow, appeared powerless. Traffic congestion began to ease after
\nmore personnel from the Subang and Indramayu police stations
\narrived to bring order around the markets.<\/p>\n
"We have done everything to solve the problem, including
\nstationing policemen to form barricades along the road at the
\nmarkets, but traffic jams remain because traders, buyers and road
\nusers are oblivious to the need to jointly maintain order,"
\nIndramayu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Johni Suroto said on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
Some drivers confirmed that congestion was largely due to
\ncrowded markets along the northern coastal road, saying it took
\nthree hours to pass some markets.<\/p>\n
Along the Indramayu route, traditional markets are located in
\nPatrol, Losarang, Bangkir and Karangampel, which are usually
\npacked with shoppers and traders. There are also a number of
\nother markets along the Cirebon highway.<\/p>\n
Traffic also came to a complete stop for hours at a number of
\nspots along the Bogor-Puncak-Cianjur route.<\/p>\n
"Crowds were seen gathering at a number of markets in
\nMagamendung and Cisarua, also hindering traffic flow," Bogor
\nPolice chief Sr. Comr. Muhammad Taufik was quoted by Antara as
\nsaying.<\/p>\n
The Nagreg three-way intersection was also severely congested,
\nwith the road proving unable to accommodate the huge number of
\nvehicles from Jakarta and other cities in West Java, which were
\nheading for cities in Central and East Java.<\/p>\n
The traffic jam there stretched for seven kilometers.<\/p>\n
It takes only five minutes on normal days to travel the
\nRancaekek-Nagreg route, but it took more than one hour on Friday.<\/p>\n
Long lines of vehicles were seen in Batang, one of the cities
\nalong Central Java's northern coastal road, where thousands of
\ncars pass.<\/p>\n
Central Java Governor Mardiyanto admitted that at least 112
\ntraditional markets along the province's main roads were
\nhindering traffic flow.<\/p>\n
"Fortunately, the traffic jams can be reduced because we deal
\nwith them seriously," he said in Semarang.<\/p>\n
However, the governor warned travellers of flooding and
\nlandslides in Kebumen, Banyumas and Banjarnegara.<\/p>",
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