Head of Musi Banyuasin Police Reveals Root Cause of Traffic Congestion on East Toll Road, Implements Measures to Resolve It
Musi Banyuasin, South Sumatra – Traffic flow on the East Toll Road (Jalintim) linking Palembang and Jambi, specifically at kilometre 148 in Simpang Tungkal Village, Musi Banyuasin Regency (Muba), South Sumatra, continues to experience surges. Vehicle density has become inevitable, causing severe traffic jams at several points.
The Head of Musi Banyuasin Police, AKBP Ruri Prastowo, deployed directly to the field to manage traffic flow and enforce discipline on vehicles travelling against traffic.
Based on police observations, congestion occurs at several points on the Jalintim in Muba, specifically from kilometre 148 to kilometre 160, and from kilometre 176 to kilometre 185.
“There has indeed been an increase in vehicle volume on the Jalintim in Musi Banyuasin. The congestion points are from km 148 to km 160 and km 176 to km 185,” said Ruri on Tuesday, 17 March 2026.
Ruri explained that the surge in vehicle traffic began to be felt from 14 to 16 March 2026. The congestion was triggered by increased holiday travel passing through this main route connecting South Sumatra and Jambi.
According to Ruri, several factors are causing congestion on this route. One is the undulating road terrain with numerous uphill and downhill sections, which causes large vehicles to slow down.
“The road terrain at this location is undulating with uphill and downhill sections, so large trucks often experience deceleration when passing through,” he said.
In addition, the continued presence of many large trucks on the route also slows traffic flow, particularly when vehicle volume increases.
Furthermore, the indiscipline of some road users worsens congestion conditions. Some drivers choose to travel against traffic because they want to reach their destination faster.
“There are still people who are undisciplined by travelling against traffic because they want to arrive quickly. This actually makes congestion even longer,” he explained.
Congestion is also worsened by several incidents of vehicles breaking down on the road, such as overturned trucks carrying iron and trucks with broken axles.
“There have also been several incidents of trucks overturning with iron cargo and trucks with broken axles. This causes vehicle queues to become even longer,” he said.
Ruri added that another factor triggering congestion is the road’s current width, which has not been widened and is therefore unable to accommodate the surge in vehicle volume during peak holiday travel periods.