{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1645509,
        "msgid": "severe-traffic-jam-on-road-to-merak-port-drivers-trapped-for-hours-1774936316",
        "date": "2026-03-31 11:43:00",
        "title": "Severe Traffic Jam on Road to Merak Port, Drivers Trapped for Hours",
        "author": "",
        "source": "CNN_ID",
        "tags": "",
        "topic": "Infrastructure",
        "summary": "Severe traffic congestion has plagued the road leading to Merak Port since early Tuesday morning, leaving drivers, particularly truck operators, stuck for several hours due to the implementation of the Tiba, Bongkar, Berangkat (TBB) system from Bakauheni Port in Lampung. This system aims to expedite ferry crossings by prioritising vehicles from the opposite side, resulting in only two of the seven docks at Merak being used for loading, while four are dedicated to TBB operations. The delays highlight ongoing challenges in managing cross-strait traffic, especially with large vehicles dominating the flow following restrictions during the 2026 Eid al-Fitr holiday period.",
        "content": "<p>A long traffic jam occurred on the road to Merak Port from early\nTuesday (31\/3) until approaching noon. The congestion was seen snaking\nalong the Cikuasa Bawah and Cikuasa Atas road sections. Even some lorry\ndrivers had been trapped since 05:00 WIB and only entered the port\naround 09:00 WIB. \u201cCarrying a package from Soekarno-Hatta Airport, left\nat 3 am, arrived at Cikuasa Atas around 5 am. It\u2019s 10 am now and still\nqueuing, haven\u2019t boarded the ferry,\u201d said Ahmad, a lorry driver heading\nto Padang, when met at Merak Port. A similar situation befell Suryono.\nHe had been stuck in traffic and unable to board the ferry for 5 hours.\nHe claimed to have been queuing at the Merak Executive Pier since 05:00\nWIB and up to now had not entered the ferry. \u201cSince 5 am, haven\u2019t\n(boarded the ferry). Exited the toll earlier with a bit of traffic.\nDon\u2019t know why (the jam), was told to wait here,\u201d said Suryono. Another\ncomplaint came from Hamdan, a lorry driver carrying a package who had\nalso been queuing for hours outside the port. Hamdan said that even\nafter entering Merak Port, they still could not board the ferry because\nthey had to queue first. \u201cUntil past 10:00, still queuing outside the\nport,\u201d he said. Cause of the Jam The cause of the long congestion that\nsnaked until outside Merak Port was due to the enforcement of the Tiba,\nBongkar, Berangkat (TBB) from Bakauheni Port, Lampung. The Head of\nTraffic Police at Cilegon Police, AKP Ridwan Kotomeng, said that Jalan\nCikuasa Atas and Cikuasa Bawah experienced density, which was eventually\nresolved by the police by directing vehicles into Merak Port. \u201cThe Tiba\nBongkar Berangkat (TBB) system is being implemented, a scheme used to\nspeed up crossings, where TBB is applied in Bakauheni so they can arrive\nquickly in Merak,\u201d he said. Of the seven piers, only two are used for\nthe loading process from Merak Port. Meanwhile, 4 piers are used for\nTBB. Specifically, the Executive Pier operates normally, namely for\nembarking and disembarking passengers and vehicles. Merak Port is\ncurrently dominated by large vehicles, such as lorries and buses. This\nfollows restrictions during the 2026 Eid al-Fitr homecoming and return\nflow. \u201cSo that in Bakauheni it clears quickly, empties quickly, earlier\nthere was smoothness for Bakau. Not slowed down, but reduced for the\npiers, so priority to those from Bakau first,\u201d he said.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/severe-traffic-jam-on-road-to-merak-port-drivers-trapped-for-hours-1774936316",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}