41,000 Vehicles Cross Cipali Toll Road in 8 Hours
Traffic flow on the Cikopo-Palimanan (Cipali) toll road is showing a significant increase ahead of the Eid al-Fitr homecoming. The operator recorded around 41,000 vehicles crossing the route in just eight hours on H-2 Eid, Thursday morning.
Sustainability Management & Corporate Communications Department Head of Astra Tol Cipali, Ardam Rafif Trisilo, stated that traffic on the toll road was monitored as busy but smooth, despite slowdowns at several points.
“The one-way flow on the Cipali toll road remains busy and smooth, although there were slowdowns at some points,” said Ardam in his statement in Subang, West Java, on Thursday (19/3), quoting Antara.
Based on data from 00:00 WIB to 08:00 WIB, 41,000 vehicles were recorded crossing the Cipali toll road via the former Cikopo Toll Gate towards Cirebon. This figure increased by around 1 percent compared to the same period the previous day.
The average vehicle volume during that period reached 5,200 vehicles per hour, reflecting the high mobility of the public travelling home ahead of the holiday.
Ardam explained that the slowdowns at several points were triggered by the increasing number of vehicles stopping on the roadside shoulder. This condition is deemed risky to the safety of other road users and disrupts traffic flow.
To address this, Astra Tol Cipali officers along with police continue to handle it on the ground, particularly for vehicles experiencing issues during the journey.
Road users are also urged not to use the roadside shoulder as a resting place. As an alternative, homecomers are advised to exit via the nearest toll gate if rest areas are full.
Astra Tol Cipali assures that road users will not be charged additional fees when exiting the toll for rest. This is because the closed transaction system on the Trans-Java toll network calculates tariffs based on the distance travelled.
In addition, the operator also reminds homecomers to prepare their journeys thoroughly. Prime physical condition and vehicle readiness are important factors to ensure a safe and comfortable homecoming trip.