City gears up for return of 3 million

JAKARTA (JP): The return of more than three million Idul Fitri travelers to the city is expected to reach its peak this weekend.

The City Population Agency reported yesterday that 3,059,576 Jakartans left the city for their hometowns by bus, private car, plane, train or ship between Feb. 2 and Feb. 8.

The head of the agency, Soemarto, said 1,675,920 people left the city by private car, 835,449 by bus, 343,033 by train, 193,361 by plane and 11,813 by ship.

The agency estimated that the number of people returning to the city will increase by 10 percent, or more than 300,000 people, as many Jakartans bring back relatives and friends looking for jobs.

Governor Surjadi Soedirdja has indicated that most of the newcomers to Jakarta will be unskilled people who will find it hard to survive in the city.

However, the city administration has found it difficult to curb the influx of newcomers, despite its continuous programs which describe the harsh living conditions in Jakarta.

The city has been cooperating with a number of city administrations in West, Central and East Java and South Sumatra to prevent too great an influx of newcomers.

The agency reported that the number of people leaving the city this year was lower than last year, when 3,234,975 people left for their hometowns.

"The drop was caused by, among other things, the discount offered by Perumka," Soemarto said, adding that the discount motivated some people to leave the city earlier.

The spokesman for the state-run railway company Perumka, Bambang Walujodjati, said people still preferred to travel by bus, despite the discount and the additional train capacity.

"Perumka predicted that 41,000 people would leave the city each day, but the data showed it was only 37,000," Bambang said.

He said the company had increased its capacity by 10 percent this year. Last year, the capacity was 153,618.

Furthermore, he said the influx of passengers returning to the city by train would occur this weekend. "Most people will probably return to work Monday," Bambang said.

An official of the Ministry of Transportation, Imran Kartoko, seconded his opinion, saying travelers will return by private cars and buses this weekend.

The ministry organized a 24-hour post for traffic control during the Idul Fitri season.

On Tuesday, the post recorded that 154,171 people returned to the city by bus, train and private car.

In a bid to help people returning to Jakarta get buses easily, 32 buses from the state-run PPD firm will be on standby beginning tonight at the Pulo Gadung intercity bus terminal in East Jakarta, and will operate until Feb. 16. Another eight buses will be added, if necessary.

The additional buses will transport people from Pulo Gadung to Kalideres in West Jakarta, Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta, Blok M in South Jakarta, and Depok. (ste/11)