A lesson learned?

A lesson learned?

To judge by the countless tales of distress that have been
circulating in Jakarta these past few days, the transportation
system that was to serve those traveling home to celebrate Idul
Fitri with friends and family in the provinces is just not up to
the job. And considering the growing tide of Idul Fitri travelers
in this country, next year seems to promise no better.

Never before has Indonesia seen such gigantic crowds trapped
in jams. About 400 travelers were reported to have fainted after
being forced to walk 13 kilometers along the road between Cilegon
and Merak, in the northwestern tip of Java, because traffic had
ground to a complete halt. At Gambir railway station in Central
Jakarta people had to wait in line a whole night or longer to get
tickets. And once they got the tickets, some of them could not
even use them, blocked as they were by the mass of people trying
to force their way onto the trains.

A crowd of tens of thousands of prospective travelers clogged
up bus stations, unable to get a bus because vehicles trying to
come into Jakarta were blocked by a 50-kilometer traffic snarl
along the northern coastal route linking the capital with cities
in Central and East Java.

The situation would look even grimmer if other tales of
confusion were added to the list -- such as the long waits people
had to endure at stations in provincial towns for transportation
to smaller towns and villages. One woman was reported to have
given birth at a bus station. In another incident, a man
collapsed and died. And many inter-city bus conductors exploited
the general disorder by slapping a 100 percent surcharge on
passengers. This was done after the buses passed the city
boundaries so as to evade sanctions.

The Armed Forces sent ships and trucks to help shift travelers
from Merak to Sumatra across the Sunda Strait, but they could not
do much. About 60,000 people were still stranded on Feb. 29, one
day before Idul Fitri. And on that very date at bus stations in
Jakarta many more people were reported to still be waiting for
transportation.

This chaotic situation was made worse by the tremendous number
of private cars which joined the holiday exodus. And the drivers'
lack of discipline and confusion at being ordered to take
detours over unfamiliar roads compounded the madness.

The biggest factor contributing to the confusion, however, was
of course the sheer number of travelers this year, which exceeded
all expectations. The authorities who had declared that
everything would be fine long before Idul Fitri seem to have been
taken by surprise by the frenzy.

It is important to realize that the tremendous improvement of
Indonesia's road infrastructure and the rising standard of living
have combined to boost the mobility of the populace. At the same
time the population of Jakarta, always the main departure point
for Idul Fitri travelers, is growing because more people are
flocking to the city and its surrounding areas, where industrial
activity is pulsing along at a rapid rate. People come to Jakarta
because for many Jakarta is still the city of opportunity. And
those who "swim upriver" to their hometowns and villages during
Idul Fitri seem to illustrate to those left behind the truth of
that notion. This, in turn, exerts a powerful pull on rural
people to follow their friends and relatives to the big city.

People can be expected to continue to flock to Jakarta as long
as industrial growth remains out of balance and centered in large
urban areas. And this flow will surely exacerbate the widening
social gap.

On one side of the gap rural people are forced to leave the
provinces to escape dire conditions, while the nouveaux riches of
urban settlements enjoy the many luxuries and privileges which
present-day Indonesia has to offer.

Clearly it is time we paid more attention to the needs of the
average Indonesian citizen. Before the Idul Fitri holidays next
year the authorities would do well to anticipate all
eventualities and see to the needs of travelers. Better
preparation seems to be in order and the possibility of another
sudden increase in the number of those who want to celebrate Idul
Fitri in their hometowns must be anticipated. The transportation
system must be better managed.

There are many facets to this Idul Fitri transportation
business. It would be wise, and certainly more helpful for
travelers, if the authorities in charge were to admit to any
possible limitations the system might have, rather than simply
saying that everything has been arranged.