Transport prepared for Idul Fitri exodus<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The continuing crisis may be no obstacle to the
\ntraditional end-of-the-fasting month family gathering of Idul
\nFitri, and the government is gearing up to prepare for this
\nyear's expected exodus of 16.92 million people from various
\ncities next month.<\/p>\n
Last year's exodus involved 18.49 million people,
\nCommunications Minister Giri Suseno Hadihardjono said on Monday.<\/p>\n
As in previous years, the ministry would coordinate the
\ntransportation system during the most celebrated Muslim holiday
\nby deploying a colossal armada of buses, trains, ships and
\nairplanes, Giri said.<\/p>\n
It would deploy 408 passenger and cargo ships, 93 aircraft, 93
\nferries, 238 trains, and 21,300 intercity buses and 12 terminals
\nfor the January season, he said.<\/p>\n
It would also coordinate traffic in areas prone to high
\ntraffic density, beginning at least a week before the Idul Fitri
\nholiday which will likely fall on Jan. 19 and 20, he said.<\/p>\n
Giri said next year's Idul Fitri would be marked by a slowdown
\nin the transportation sector, which had suffered from an increase
\nin component prices and operational costs while revenues remained
\nlow.<\/p>\n
\"The supply of transportation has drastically shrunk; airline
\nfleets declined to a total of about 90 aircraft in October; only
\n60 percent of inter-city buses are operating, while the number of
\ncity buses has dropped by an average of 50 percent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"In Jakarta only 30 percent of the buses are operating,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Giri said the economic crisis had also given way to an
\nincrease in crimes committed against motorists and public
\ntransportation passengers such as scams, theft, and vandalism.<\/p>\n
Many road signs and much equipment including traffic lights,
\nsignal cables, and telecommunication cables have been stolen or
\nvandalized, jeopardizing the safety of motorists.<\/p>\n
Giri said the government also anticipated the anomalous
\nweather pattern known as La Nina would cause many natural
\ndisasters this season.<\/p>\n
Over 16 months of economic crisis has led to an 8 percent drop
\nin the number of passengers to 16.22 million in the Idul Fitri
\nholiday next January from 18.49 million earlier this year.<\/p>\n
Airline passenger numbers would drop the most with a 35
\npercent fall, followed by a 15 percent reduction in sea
\npassengers and one of 8 percent in ground transportation
\npassengers.<\/p>\n
Giri cited several points, roads and routes vulnerable to high
\ntraffic density during the Idul Fitri holiday.<\/p>\n
They include the Cikopo and Cileungsi toll exits, the Bogor-
\nCiawi-Sukabumi junction, the Puncak area, the Sukabumi road, and
\nthe Padalarang junction, all located in West Java.<\/p>\n
The most heavily subscribed marine routes would include
\nJakarta-Medan (North Sumatra), Jakarta-Pontianak (West
\nKalimantan), Surabaya (East Java)- Banjarmasin (South
\nKalimantan), and Surabaya-Ujungpandang (South Sulawesi), he said.<\/p>\n
The busiest airline routes will be Jakarta-Medan, Jakarta-
\nPontianak, Jakarta-Pangkal Pinang (Riau) and Jakarta-Denpasar.
\n(das)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/transport-prepared-for-idul-fitri-exodus-1447893297",
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