1,784 Travellers Depart on H-3 Eid; Kampung Rambutan Terminal Becomes Increasingly Busy

The flow of homebound travellers at Kampung Rambutan Terminal in East Jakarta showed significant growth on H-3 Eid, Tuesday (17 March). By 3pm, a total of 1,784 passengers had departed on intercity buses (AKAP).

Revi Zulkarnaen, Head of Kampung Rambutan Terminal, confirmed an upward trend in passenger movement compared to previous days. “For AKAP departures, until midday today there were 75 buses with a total of 1,784 passengers. This shows an upward trend,” said Revi when contacted by Media Indonesia on Tuesday (17 March).

Terminal data revealed a stark contrast between outbound and inbound traffic to Jakarta. Whilst departures reached thousands, incoming passenger numbers stood at only 532 arrivals on 85 buses. This situation underscored the dominance of residents beginning their journey home.

Beyond AKAP services, Transjabodetabek services continued operating, albeit with limited volume. Fourteen buses departed carrying 95 passengers, whilst incoming traffic reached 132 people on the same number of buses.

Observation at the terminal showed queues of passengers snaking around departure counters, particularly for Central Java and East Java routes. Some travellers deliberately arrived early to ensure ticket availability.

Rudi (34), one of the travellers, said he had arrived at the terminal since 12pm. “If it gets closer to Eid it will definitely be more crowded. Even now the queue feels long, but it’s still orderly,” he said.

Revi emphasised that personnel had been stationed at several critical points, particularly in waiting areas and departure lanes. Support facilities such as health posts and information services had been activated under joint supervision from the Transportation Department and Police.

“Overall conditions remain manageable. However, we predict passenger numbers will continue to increase until the peak of the homebound travel period,” Revi concluded.

Terminal management predicted the peak flow at Kampung Rambutan would occur two to one day before Eid, as more residents began leaving the capital.

In separate developments, Jakarta Governor Pramono Anung inaugurated a new Transjabodetabek service on the Blok M–Soekarno-Hatta Airport (SH2) route, providing an affordable transport alternative to the airport with a fare of Rp3,500.