7,000 buses made available for Idul Fitri exodus
7,000 buses made available for Idul Fitri exodus
JAKARTA (JP): The City Land Transportation Agency will deploy
over 7,000 buses in a 16-day operation called Angkutan Lebaran
1995 in anticipation of the annual Idul Fitri exodus.
J.P. Sepang, the head of the agency, told reporters yesterday
that the operation, which will begin on Feb. 24 and last through
March 11, is primarily aimed at providing public transportation
for people who intend to celebrate Idul Fitri in their hometowns.
"This effort is taken to anticipate the explosion in the
number of public transportation passengers. Based on experiences
from previous years, this year the number is estimated to be 10
percent higher than last year's," Sepang said.
He was speaking after a coordination meeting with the city
police force and the Jakarta office of the national agency for
stability and security (Bakorstanasda) and other city agencies.
Sepang said that in 1993 1.12 million people left Jakarta
using public transportation vehicles at Idul Fitri. The number
reached 1.49 million people in 1994. This year the agency
predicts the number of home bound travelers will reach 1.57
million.
"Two days before Idul Fitri will be the peak of the exodus,"
he said, predicting that a total of 158,301 people will leave the
city on that day alone.
Sepang added that during the operation, his agency will deploy
6,462 regular buses and 1,050 additional buses.
He also said private companies, as well as the state-owned bus
companies, will deploy their fleets as supplemental buses. The
state-owned bus company PPD will operate 250 additional buses,
while DAMRI will supply 75 buses. Private companies, such as
Mayasari Bakti, will operate 300 buses, Arion 25, Bianglala 50,
Mass Trans 25, Himpurna 25, Metro Mini 200 and Kopaja 100 buses.
"The buses are going to be used to transport passengers who
intend to go to West Java and Central Java," Sepang said.
He said that ticket counters at bus terminals will be closed
five days before Idul Fitri.
Sepang also said that the agency has decided to set up 16
temporary bus terminals in each mayoralty.
"Currently, there are four inter-city bus terminals in
Jakarta: Pulogadung, Kampung Rambutan, Kalideres and Lebak Bulus.
"This is not enough, therefore we will set up temporary
terminals," Sepang said.
He said during the operation, bus companies will not be
allowed to increase ticket fares or lease their fleets for tours.
The agency will allow the buses to operate beyond the
stipulations in their route permits and to transport up to an
additional 10 percent of passengers, based on the capacity of the
bus.
The meeting also decided to limit the number of container and
trailer trucks traveling in certain areas during the operation.
"Four days before and one day after Idul Fitri, container and
trailer trucks are not allowed to operate," Sepang said. "Traffic
routes along the northern coast of Java will be used only for
public transportation vehicles, while the southern coast route is
for private cars and containers."
He added that the decision was made to avoid traffic jams
along the northern coastal routes.
Sepang said agencies such as the city police, the city
sanitation office and the city public order office will also help
with the operation.
The city sanitation office will provide mobile toilets, while
the city public order office is responsible for controlling the
activities of illegal vendors at bus terminals. (yns)