Traffic flow returns to normal at Bakauheni port<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso, The Jakarta Post, Bakauheni, Lampung<\/p>\n
Activities at Bakauheni port in Sumatra were normal on Monday
\nwith only a minor traffic jam at the nearby resort area of Pasir
\nPutih in Lampung as motorists began to leave their hometowns to
\nreturn to cities in Java.<\/p>\n
The four-kilometer-long traffic jam was primarily caused by
\nthe large number of Lampung residents visiting the coastal
\nresort.<\/p>\n
Hasan Aldin, head of transportation company PT Angkutan
\nSungai, Danau, dan Penyeberangan (PT ASDP) at Bakauheni port,
\nsaid Monday that his office was operating 21 ferries and 12 speed
\nboats.<\/p>\n
\"The flow of traffic from and to Sumatra is better than last
\nyear,\" Aldin said, even with an increase of 7 percent in the
\nnumber of travelers.<\/p>\n
He added that the capability of his office in operating
\nferries has prevented a long queue to the port.<\/p>\n
A total of 287,359 people have crossed the Sunda Straits since
\nseven days before Idul Fitri on Dec.6, 2002. In the same period
\nlast year, the number of travelers reached 266,235.<\/p>\n
Aldin added that the number of people who have crossed the
\nstrait between Lampung and Banten had reached 24,000 as of 2:00
\np.m. on Monday. It is estimated that the number will increase to
\n50,000 by midnight on Tuesday. Data from the transport office
\nconfirmed the increase in the number of people crossing from
\nMerak, Banten, to Bakauheni.<\/p>\n
In contrast to last year, the flow of traffic along Sumatra's
\nmain roads was smoother this year. Minor traffic jams occurred in
\na few areas, mainly at the Layang Natar flyover, railroad
\ncrossings and at traditional markets, but generally the situation
\nwas normal.<\/p>\n
A fatal accident occurred on a major motorway 5 kilometers
\nnorth of Bakauheni on Saturday, in which four people were killed
\nwhen a truck carrying steel plates hit a restaurant. The victims
\nwere residents in a village close to the seaport.<\/p>\n
A number of motorists have expressed concerns about the
\ncondition of the roads.<\/p>\n
\"In some places, the road was slick with mud. Fortunately,
\nthere was no landslide,\" said Rohadi, a traveler from Medan
\nheading for Jakarta. He also regretted the levies imposed on
\nmotorists by residents who live near the damaged roads.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a total of four teenagers drowned on Saturday when
\nswimming off the coast of Terbaya in Kotaagung district,
\nTanggamus regency, as part of their Idul Fitri celebrations.<\/p>\n
Three of the teenagers, Mujiono, 17, Purwanto, 18, and Eko,
\n18, were residents of Pekon Sinar Agung in Pulaupanggung,
\nTanggamus. Sal Sabilah drowned off the Marina coast in West
\nLampung.<\/p>\n
The teenagers were swept away so quickly that coast guards
\nwere unable to save them. The bodies of Mujiono and Purwanto were
\nfound a few hours later on Saturday, while Eko's body was found
\non Sunday.<\/p>\n
Despite warnings from authorities in the resort area, the four
\nwent swimming in the coastal waters, which are well-known for its
\ndangerous currents.<\/p>",
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