Let the exodus begin<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto and Ahmat Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In the next few days, the capital city of Jakarta will soon be
\ndeserted. It will be unusually quiet. The streets will be free
\nfrom traffic jams and the vendors who run their business off the
\nroad or even on the part of it will all gone.<\/p>\n
At least 2.5 millions of people will leave the city to
\ncelebrate the Idul Fitri holidays next Sunday and Monday, in
\ntheir hometowns, where they will have a big family reunion.<\/p>\n
Jakarta is home to 8.4 million people - but during the day,
\nwith many from the city bufferzones of Tangerang, Bekasi and
\nDepok working here, the number increases to about 10 million.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso earlier said the city had prepared 6,813
\nbuses, 66 trains and 31 ships to handle Idul Fitri holidaymakers.<\/p>\n
The Transportation Ministry estimates that there will be more
\nthan 15.8 million people from eight provinces (Lampung, Banten,
\nWest Java, Jakarta, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java and Bali)
\nwho will return to their hometowns by public transportation.<\/p>\n
The annual exodus started this weekend and will reach its peak
\non Thursday.<\/p>\n
The tradition originated back in the 1970s, following the
\nimplementation of the capitalist economics that resulted in the
\ndevelopment growth in some urban places and the migration from
\nthe other parts of the country, according to sociologists.<\/p>\n
It is the time to share the success with their big family -
\nthe travelers will bring lots of stuffs for them, mostly things
\nthat are not available in their home towns or villages.<\/p>\n
\"I have not visited my parents in Yogyakarta for one year. I
\nam quite busy with my work,\" Hadi, an employee of a private
\ncompany, said in Senen railway station, Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
For him, Idul Fitri is the only time he could bring along his
\nwife and three children to visit his home town.<\/p>\n
The number of passengers in Senen station has started to
\nslightly increse on Friday.<\/p>\n
Some scalpers were still seen operating in the station. A
\npassenger admitted to buy a ticket to Yogyakarta of Rp 75,000
\nfrom normal price of Rp 28,000 after he found out that all
\ntickets to cities in Central Java until one day before the Idul
\nFitri were sold out on Saturday.<\/p>\n
All tickets for executive class trains in the ticket counter
\non Jl. Djuanda, Central Jakarta, for the same period were sold
\nout.<\/p>\n
Badar Zaini, general manager of state railway company PT
\nKereta Api Indonesia (KAI) estimates that the peak season for
\nIdul Fitri will falls from Thursday to Saturday. At that time, PT
\nKAI expects to transport 197,802 people to cities across Java.<\/p>\n
The company has prepared 240 trains to transport travelers.<\/p>\n
According to Badar, 90 scalpers were nabbed this week, but
\nwere released after being detained for a day.<\/p>\n
The police once claimed they could not be legally processed
\ndue to the lack of legal basis, but they later admitted that the
\nscalpers could be punished under the city bylaw on public order
\nnuisance.<\/p>\n
Reports said that scalpers paid the police before they were
\nreleased.<\/p>\n
In bus terminals, the \"job\" of ticket touters was taken over
\nby uniformed employees of bus operators, who forced would-be
\npassengers to buy the tickets at much higher prices.<\/p>\n
When The Jakarta Post arrived at Kampung Rambutan bus terminal
\nin East Jakarta on Saturday afternoon, head of the terminal, Endi
\nLastion, was beating one of dozens of touters in his office.<\/p>\n
\"They have been warned not to offer the tickets forcibly, as
\nsuch actions would tarnish the bus terminal's image,\" Endi said.<\/p>\n
The government allowed bus operators to increase the fare by
\n12 percents from seven days before the Idul Fitri until seven
\ndays after the holidays.<\/p>\n
Iman, who would travel to his hometown in Yogyakarta said he
\nwas asked by Ramayana bus operator to pay Rp 85,000 while the
\nnormal price was Rp 50,000. \"The price will skyrocket to Rp
\n140,000 on three days before the festivities,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The number of passengers in the terminal increased by 10
\npercent to 11,000 on Friday, compared to an average of 10,000
\npeople daily.<\/p>\n
Endi predicted the flux of passengers would increase until
\n28,000 people per day on three or four days before the Idul Fitri
\nfestivities.<\/p>\n
There will be an addition of 100 buses to the current 600
\nbuses at the terminal.<\/p>\n
The Pulo Gadung bus terminal, East Jakarta, the Lebak Bulus
\nterminal in South Jakarta did not record any significant increase
\nof passengers on Saturday.<\/p>\n
\"May be, the increase will start tomorrow,\" Nadyassyam, the
\nterminal head, said. (Fitri Wulandari contributed to this
\narticle)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/let-the-exodus-begin-1447893297",
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