The desire to meet parents and siblings on Eid morning is a longing\nthat builds during days spent away from home. Visiting extended family\nand childhood friends represents an infinite yearning.<\/p>\n
Despite sometimes having to navigate narrow lanes to the ends of\nvillages, cross rivers, traverse rice fields, and climb hillsides, this\nis not a barrier to sharing joy.<\/p>\n
It is therefore not an exaggeration to say that returning to one\u2019s\nhometown as Eid approaches is a pilgrimage of love and the pursuit of\nreunion. This is why thousands of people undertake journeys through cold\nnights or across scorching heat in extreme weather.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the National Route from Banda Aceh to Medan, for example, has\nbeen crowded in recent days since Sunday (15\/3), with thousands of\nmotorcyclists returning to their hometowns where they were born.<\/p>\n
These are students from various universities and workers who have\nbeen studying and earning livelihoods in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh\nProvince. From approximately 50,000 students and tens of thousands of\ncivil servants and private employees, they are now dispersed across\nvarious regions via the National Route Banda Aceh-Medan and the Banda\nAceh-South West Coast route.<\/p>\n
To avoid the intense heat currently gripping the Veranda of Mecca,\nmany depart at night after evening prayers, approaching dawn prayers, or\nafter dawn prayers. The goal is to avoid dehydration from fluid loss\nduring the heat of Ramadan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI departed after dawn prayers at my rented accommodation and headed\nhome straight away. Travelling in the early morning is more comfortable.\nThe atmosphere is still fresh, the weather is cool, and traffic is not\nyet congested. We can enjoy the natural beauty of the Saree Highland\narea and the Pocut Meurah Intan Grand Forest Park in the Seulawah\nMountains,\u201d said Farida Hanum, a fourth-semester student of the Faculty\nof Education at Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh, from Gatot, Pidie,\non Monday (16\/3).<\/p>\n
From observations, thousands of motorcyclists from Banda\nAceh\u2014generally students and traders\u2014are choosing to travel at night. In\naddition to avoiding the intense heat currently affecting Aceh, they\nalso prevent traffic congestion after afternoon through the breaking of\nthe fast period.<\/p>\n
Several traffic congestion hotspots on the National Route Banda\nAceh-Medan include the Pasar Lambaro area in Indrapuri (Aceh Besar\nDistrict), Pasar Grong-Grong, Caleue, and Beureunuen (Pidie District),\nas well as Lueng Putu, Meureudu, and Ulee Glee (Pidie Jaya District).\nFurther congestion occurs at Pasar Bireuen, Matang Geulumpang Dua, Kuta\nBlang, and Geureugok (Bireuen District), Krueng Mane, Keureungkueh,\nGeudong, and Lhok Sukon (North Aceh), Idi, Peureulak (East Aceh), and\nLangsa (Langsa City).<\/p>\n
\u201cWe departed from Banda Aceh around 04.00 WIB. We had our dawn meal\nalong the route in the Saree area, Aceh Besar. Our target is to arrive\nhome before evening,\u201d said Muslim, a resident from Blang Ara Village,\nPaya Bakong District, North Aceh District, encountered by observers\nwhilst resting briefly at Baitul Huda Mosque, Blang Malu, Pidie\nDistrict, on Monday after dawn prayers.<\/p>\n
Departing late at night or after dawn prayers has become the choice\nof motorcyclists from Banda Aceh, not only to avoid intense heat and\ntraffic congestion caused by minibuses and freight trucks. They also\nwant to arrive home faster and avoid being on the road late at\nnight.<\/p>\n
Especially for travellers on long journeys such as to Langsa (411\nkm), Aceh Tamiang (471 km), and Medan, North Sumatra Province (575\nkm)\u2014approximately 12-14 hours of motorcycle travel. With early morning\ndepartures, they have the opportunity to rest and recover from travel\nfatigue.<\/p>\n
Even if rain falls, they must stop and wait for it to pass. \u201cI\nstopped briefly at Pulo Pisang Petrol Station in Pidie yesterday and\nrested during noon prayers in Bireue. Around 14.00 WIB, I had already\narrived home,\u201d said Safitra Qalbi, a fourth-semester student of the\nFaculty of Law at Syiah Kuala University in Banda Aceh, who travelled 7\nhours to her village of Jamur Ujung, Wih Pesam District, Bener Meriah\nDistrict.<\/p>\n
To relieve fatigue, motorcyclists on the Banda Aceh-Medan route rest\nat various locations along the road at places deemed safe, such as\nmosques, prayer rooms, community buildings, petrol stations, and\nroadside shelters.<\/p>\n
Similar patterns occur on the sea crossing routes between mainland\nAceh and Simeulue Island, Singkil to Banyak Island, and Banda Aceh to\nSabang.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thousands-of-motorcyclists-choose-night-routes-to-avoid-extreme-weather-and-traffic-congestion-1773676372", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }